UC-NRLF 


IGLISHAND 


DAVIS  AND  LINGHAM 


utBHUWMMM'HwniitmiKmii.'uim 


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GIFT  OF 
K.    G.    Luck 


On^--€MD 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/businessenglishcOOdavirich 


COPYRIGHT,  1914,  1919,  1921,  BY  ROY   DAVIS 

AND   CLARENCE   H.  LINGHAM 

ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 

PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 
430. 1 


GINN  AND  COMPANY  •  PRO- 
PRIETORS •  BOSTON  •  U.S.A. 


JStt 


PREFACE 


Business  English  and  correspondence  are  today  an  accepted 
part  of  the  curricula  of  the  high  schools  of  the  country.  This 
book  has  been  prepared  to  meet  the  present  requirements  in 
these  subjects.  It  is  a  thorough  revision  of  the  first  edition  and 
includes  also  several  new  chapters  and  an  abundance  of  new 
exercises  and  illustrative  material. 

Careful  consideration  has  been  given  to  the  many  sugges- 
tions that  have  been  made  by  teachers  since  the  first  edition 
appeared,  seven  years  ago.  Much  of  the  improvement  shown 
in  the  present  text  is  the  result  of  the  advice  of  those  who  have 
used  the  original  edition.  Special  acknowledgment  is  due 
to  Miss  Katherine  A.  McLaughlin,  Assistant  in  the  English 
Department,  Boston  University  College  of  Business  Adminis- 
tration, for  her  painstaking  care  in  reading  the  proof. 

For  permission  to  use  quotations  from  certain  of  their  pub- 
lications, thanks  are  due  to  Charles  Scribner's  Sons  (''  Letters 
of  Robert  Louis  Stevenson");  Current  Opinion,  issue  of 
April,  191 2  ;  The  Charles  E.  Merrill  Company  (Reed,  "Word 
Lessons");  S.  D.  Brooks,  President  of  the  University  of 
Oklahoma,  for  a  quotation  from  his  *'  English  Composition  "  ; 
Messrs.  Henry  Holt  and  Company  (Hirst,  *'  The  Stock 
Exchange ") ;  The  Macmillan  Company  (Carpenter,  **  Ele- 
ments of  Rhetoric  ") ;  and  to  The  Horace  Partridge  Company 
for  permission  to  reproduce  the  cut  at  the  bottom  of  page  231. 

R.  D. 
C.  H.  L. 


M41d83 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.   Introduction i 

II.   I.    Principles  of  Grammar 12 

II.  Application  of  Grammar 31 

III.  Punctuation 52 

IV.  Spelling  and  the  Use  of  Words 65 

V.   I.   The  Fundamental  Principles  of  Rhetoric     .     .  107 

II.  Application  of  the  Principles  of  Rhetoric  .     .  117 

VI.   The  Form  of  a  Letter .  169 

VII.    The  Letter  of  Application 211 

VIII.   The  Buying  Letter     . 230 

IX.   The  Selling  Letter 241 

X.   The  Form  Letter 272 

XL   The  Letter  of   Introduction  and  the  Letter  of 

Recommendation 278 

XII.    Complaints  and  Adjustments      292 

XIII.  Credits 307 

XIV.  Collections 311 

XV.   Miscellaneous  Letters 321 

XVI.   The  Advertisement 328 

XVII.   Reports  and  Summaries 343 

XVIII.    The  Telegraphic  Message 354 

XIX.    Reviews  and  Tests 359 

APPENDIX  A.     POSTAL  INFORMATION 373 

APPENDIX   B.     PROOFREADING 376 

APPENDIX   C.     FILING 379 

APPENDIX   D.     GRAMMATICAL  SUPPLEMENT 384 

INDEX    . 397 

vii 


BUSINESS   ENGLISH  AND 
CORRESPONDENCE 


CHAPTER  I    '^'^^   ^^^      ^  ^ 

INTRODUCTION  »  *    i.,  'i  r  .  J  vl  ('^i  \  > 

1.  Definition.  Business  English  is  clear,  concise  expression 
applied  to  commercial  transactions.  It  is  the  language  which, 
in  business  intercourse,  best  conveys  to  the  listener  or  reader 
the  exact  idea  in  the  mind  of  the  speaker  or  writer. 

2.  Varieties  of  expression.  One  has  but  to  read  the  daily 
newspapers  to  realize  how  varied  is  English  in  its  applications. 
Your  morning  paper  deals  with  widely  diverse  happenings  in 
politics,  war,  crime,  sports,  society,  and  business.  In  these 
same  columns  you  may  sometimes  find  also  selections  from 
poetry  and  prose  literature.  Contrast  the  following  brief  extracts 
from  sporting  and  financial  columns  and  a  stanza  from  McCrae's 
famous  poem. 

Language  of  Sport 

First  Inning,  Chicago.  Flack  fanned,  the  third  strike  being 
called,  when  it  shot  over  the  outside  corner  of  the  plate,  shoulder 
high.  Hollocher  grounded  out,  Shean  to  Mclnnis.  Mann  sent 
a  duplicate  grounder  to  Shean,  but  the  ball  sky-rocketed  over 
the  second-baseman's  head  for  a  single.  Paskert  singled  sharply 
to  the  left  and  Mann  went  to  third,  Paskert  nabbing  second  on 
a  throw  to  the  far  comer.  Merkle  ran  his  string  to  three  and 
two  and  then  walked,  filling  bases.  To  bat.  Pick,  who  made  a 
world  series  debut  on  a  pinch  hit.  Ball  one,  strike  two  and  Pick 
flied  to  Whitman.    No  runs,  two  hits,  no  errors. 


2  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Language  of  the  Stock  Market 

Almost  perfect  weather  and  the  publication  of  several  addi- 
tional private  crop  reports,  in  anticipation  of  Monday's  official 
statement  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  all  of  which  were 
extremely  bearish,  brought  out  a  lot  of  new  selling,  both  for 
local  and  Southern  account  yesterday.  During  the  morning  and 
until  I  o'clock  the  cotton  market  was  very  heavy.  The  weakness 
was  more  pronounced  in  the  distant  months  than  in  the  near 
, .  options  andcby^  early  J  afternoon  March  and  May  had  gone  off  a 
'maximum'  br-y'S  and'  70  points,  respectively,  while  October  was 
down  only  45;  pojnti^  and  December  and  January  were  off  about 

The  Liverpool  market  was  less  buoyant  yesterday  than  in 
several  days.  Spots  were  still  in  rather  good  demand,  but  the 
future  market,  which  started  steady,  reacted  later,  closing  down 
14  to  42  points,  the  greater  losses  being  in  the  near  months. 

Reading  common  was  under  pressure  all  day,  following  Wash- 
ington advices  to  the  effect  that  preferred  stockholders  would 
share  equally  with  the  common  in  the  rights  to  be  issued  in  the 
forthcoming  segregation  of  the  coal  and  railway  properties. 
From  82^  at  the  close  yesterday  the  price  dropped  to  78  today. 
Other  rails  were  depressed  for  the  time  being  in  sympathy  with 
this  movement. 

Language  of  Poetry 

In  Flanders  fields  the  poppies  blow 

Between  the  crosses,  row  on  row. 
That  mark  our  place ;  and  in  the  sky 
The  larks,  still  bravely  singing,  fly, 

Scarce  heard  amid  the  guns  below. 

We  are  the  Dead.    Short  days  ago 

We  lived,  felt  dawn,  saw  sunset  glow. 
Loved  and  were  loved,  and  now  we  lie 
In  Flanders  fields. 

In  the  selections  given  above,  the  underlying  principles  of 
composition  are  the  same,  but  their  applications  are  far  apart. 
Compare  also  the  letters  which  follow. 


INTRODUCTION 

A  Friendly  Letter  not  dealing  with  Business 


Yacht  Casco^  Anaho  Bay 
Nukahiva,  Marquesas 

July  8,  1888 

My  dear  Colvin, 

From  this  somewhat  —  ahem  !  —  out-of-the-way  place 
I  write  to  say  ''  How  d'  ye  do  ? "  It  is  all  a  swindle : 
I  chose  these  isles  as  having  the  most  beastly  popula- 
tion, and  they  are  better  and  far  more  civilized  than  we. 
I  know  one  old  chief  Ko-o-amua,  a  great  cannibal  in  his 
day,  who  ate  his  enemies  even  as  he  walked  home  from 
killing  'em,  and  he  is  a  perfect  gentleman,  and  exceed- 
ingly amiable  and  simple-minded ;  no  fool,  though. 

The  climate  is  delightful,  and  the  harbor  where  we  lie 
one  of  the  loveliest  spots  imaginable.  Yesterday  evening 
we  had  near  a  score  of  natives  on  board ;  lonely  parties. 
We  have  a  native  god ;  very  rare  now.  Very  rare,  and 
equally  absurd  to  view. 

This  sort  of  work  is  not  favorable  to  correspond- 
ence :  it  takes  me  all  the  little  strength  I  have  to  go 
about  and  see,  and  then  come  home  and  note,  the 
strangeness  around  us.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  there 
came  trouble  here  some  day,  all  the  same.  I  could 
name  a  nation  that  is  not  beloved  in  certain  islands 
—  and  it  does  not  know  it !  Strange,  like  ourselves, 
perhaps,  in  India !    Love  to  all,  and  much  to  yourself. 

R.  L.  S. 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 
A  Business  Letter 


Boston,  Mass. 

February  12.  1921 
Messrs.  Berlin  &  Clemens 
21  E.  Houston  St. 
New  York  City 

Gentlemen: 

We  are  in  receipt  of  your  communication  regard- 
ing #945  Braids,  and  regret  to  say  that  we  have  no 
record  of  our  having  received  a  letter  from  you 
fixing  the  price  at  $8.10.   The  braids  were  re- 
turned on  arrival,  as  stated  in  our  letter  of 
February  9. 

We  would  also  call  your  attention  to  ihe  fact 
that  though  you  now  state  you  accepted  this  order 
at  $8.10,  the  goods  were  billed  at  $8.50. 

Our  relations  with  your  house  have  hitherto 
been  very  pleasant  and  wo  regret  that  this  mis- 
understanding has  occurred.   It  seems  clear,  how- 
ever, that  no  fault  attaches  to  us  in  this  matter. 
We  must  therefore  ask  you  to  send  us  a  memorandum 
of  credit  for  the  goods  returned. 

Yours  truly, 

Hamlin  &  Orr  Company 


Each  of  the  examples  given  above  is  correct  in  its  way. 
Certainly  none  of  us  would  care  to  attempt  an  improvement  on 
McCrae's  style  or  on  that  of  Stevenson.  We  feel  that  the 
manner  of  expression  is  distinct  in  each  instance.  The  words, 
phrases,  and  viewpoint  are  different  with  each  occasion,  and  the 
manner  of  expression  in  each  selection  creates  a  different  but 
suitable  atmosphere  for  the  individuality  of  the  idea. 

One  has  only  to  remember  the  purpose  of  a  letter  or  other 
form  of  composition  in  order  to  justify  or  condemn  its  form 
of  expression.  The  ultimate  purpose  of  a  business  letter  or 
business  writing  is,  as  has  been  said,  buying  or  selling.    In 


INTRODUCTION  5 

business  he  who  can  accomplish  his  purpose  surely  and  swiftly 
is  the  successful  man.  His  statements  will  be  clear,  accurate, 
and  concise.  Keeping  always  in  mind  the  necessity  for  absolute 
clearness  of  expression,  the  business  man  should  remember 
Huxley's  dictum,  ''  The  maximum  of  thought  in  the  minimum 
of  words." 

3.  Oral  English  compared  with  written  English.  Language 
is  naturally  classified  according  to  two  great  divisions,  spoken 
English  and  written  English.  These  two  divisions  are  not 
mutually  exclusive,  for  much  of  the  spoken  language  is  also 
correct  when  written.  It  is  necessary,  however,  to  keep  the 
division  in  mind,  especially  to  guard  against  a  prevalent  error. 
This  error  arises  when  a  person  who  has  justly  lost  patience 
with  ''  I  beg  leave  to  acknowledge  herewith  your  favor,"  and 
similar  deformities  of  the  language,  seeks  to  find  less  stilted 
forms  of  expression  by  adopting  the  language  of  conversation. 
He  is  likely  to  think  that  in  order  to  write  well  we  should  write 
as  we  talk.  Such  an  idea  contains  a  dangerous  half-truth.  Good 
written  language  is  not  necessarily  the  exact  equivalent  of  good 
spoken  language.  A  list  of  the  common  abbreviations  and  other 
colloquial  expressions  would  show  at  once  that  spoken  language 
is  not  by  any  means  always  adapted  to  the  written  page.  Par- 
ticularly is  this  true  when  the  spoken  language  is  in  what  we 
call  conversational  style.  The  best  of  talk  and  even  a  speech 
appropriate  to  a  formal  occasion  may  be  filled  with  such  abbre- 
viations as  donty  /lasnt,  and  arent,  and  is  almost  certain  to  be 
largely  made  up  of  comparatively  short  sentences  in  which  there 
are  rather  few  subordinate  clauses.  The  very  fact  that  the  spoken 
word  reaches  the  ear  and  is  backed  by  facial  expression  and 
gesture  and  all  that  goes  to  mean  personal  communication  dif- 
ferentiates it  somewhat  from  the  written  word  which  must  leave 
to  the  reader's  imagination  the  actual  writer  at  his  desk. 

4.  Oral  language.  Spoken  language  has  a  value  proportionate 
to  its  accuracy.  Anyone  who  has  a  reputation  for  saying  exactly 
what  he  means  —  no  more  and  no  less  —  has  in  this  reputation 


6  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

a  valuable  asset  in  the  world  of  buying  and  selling.  Ability  to 
express  his  thoughts  easily  and  correctly  gives  the  merchant 
confidence  in  himself  and  frequently  wins  the  confidence  of  the 
buyer.  But  slovenly  talk  gives  a  bad  impression  of  clerk  or 
merchant.  No  business  man  would  want  to  advertise  the  fact 
that  he  and  his  employees  are  poorly  educated,  but  he  really 
does  this  every  day  that  he  uses  slovenly  English  himself  and 
employs  clerks  who  do  the  same. 

What  has  been  said  does  not  mean  that  big  words  and  flowery 
language  are  any  more  appropriate  in  business  than  elsewhere ; 
it  simply  means  that  since  in  conducting  commercial  affairs  we 
have  to  do  a  great  deal  of  talking,  it  is  only  reasonable  that  we 
be  prepared  to  use  the  best  language  possible.  If  it  is  nothing 
else,  correct  speaking  is  a  good  advertisement. 

To  direct  the  student's  attention  to  the  careful  use  of  ordinary 
speech,  oral  exercises  are  given  throughout  this  book. 

5.  Written  English.  Anyone  familiar  with  modern  commer- 
cial life  will  readily  admit  the  importance  of  written  English  in 
business.  The  mail-order  houses  and  advertising  agencies  alone 
annually  transact  business  to  the  value  of  hundreds  of  millions 
of  dollars  by  means  of  written  language.  The  daily  mail  of 
many  corporations  is  so  vast  that  it  is  delivered  to  them  in 
automobile  trucks.  Today  it  is  difficult  to  think  of  a  normal 
person  who  does  not  need  to  write  a  business  letter. 

But  business  writing  is  not  limited  to  letters.  There  are  cir- 
culars, reports,  catalogues,  advertisements,  and  various  other 
means  by  which  the  buyer  and  the  seller  gain  the  attention  of 
each  other  through  written  language. 

6.  The  importance  of  the  study.  If  you  are  really  interested 
in  commercial  life,  business  writing  and  talking  offer  you  an 
inexhaustible  field  for  study.  It  is  practically  impossible  to  think 
of  any  sphere  of  human  endeavor  in  which  business  is  not  in- 
volved in  some  way  or  other.  Business  language,  like  business 
in  its  broadest  sense,  must  take  into  consideration  all  kinds  and 
conditions  of  men  and  women.    Much  of  such  writing  calls  for 


INTRODUCTION  7 

ability  of  the  highest  kind,  and  the  business  world  is  ready  to 
pay  well  the  writer  who  can  show  such  abihty.  The  earning  of 
a  livelihood,  not  to  speak  of  the  acquisition  of  wealth  and  leisure 
and  all  that  this  means,  is  the  end  of  business ;  and  business 
writing  usually  plays  an  important  part. 

In  a  narrower  sense  a  correct  knowledge  of  business  English 
is  sure  to  be  of  immense  value  to  anyone  engaged  in  commer- 
cial life.  In  letters,  circulars,  advertisements,  and  daily  con- 
versation the  business  man  is  continually,  though  perhaps 
unconsciously,  telling  the  world  what  kind  of  man  he  is.  If 
what  he  writes  or  speaks  shows  slovenliness,  lack  of  education, 
ignorance  of  the  difference  between  the  exact  truth  and  the 
half  truth,  he  is  then  at  a  great  disadvantage.  He  cannot 
eventually  compete  with  his  rival  who  is  his  equal  in  other 
ways  and  who,  in  addition,  shows  a  mind  trained  to  make  state- 
ments in  the  best  possible  way. 

7.  The  basic  principles  of  language.  This  leads  us  to  a  more 
detailed  consideration  of  the  basic  principles  of  language,  the 
understanding  and  application  of  which  are  so  essential  to 
correct  expression. 

It  is  obvious  that  business  English,  like  all  English  of  repu- 
table standing,  is  subject  to  the  laws  of  grammar  and  the  laws 
that  govern  good  composition  in  general.  Therefore  it  is  nec- 
essary, in  the  study  of  business  English,  to  give  close  attention 
to  grammar  and  the  fundamental  principles  of  good  writing  and 
speaking.  To  aid  the  student  in  doing  this,  a  chapter  on  grammar 
and  one  on  the  laws  of  composition  have  been  included  in  the 
book.  These  chapters  may  be  largely  in  the  nature  of  a  review, 
but  their  presence  will  serve  to  impress  the  fact  that  the  study 
of  grammar  and  the  laws  of  composition  is  an  intensely  prac- 
tical study,  —  one  that  must  be  mastered  by  the  person  who 
hopes  to  master  business  English.  Throughout  the  work  on 
letter  writing  and  other  forms  of  business  writing  the  reader 
will  be  continually  asked  to  recall  parts  of  these  chapters. 
In  addition  he  will  be  shown  that  punctuation,  spelling,  the 


8  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

exact  use  of  words,  and  many  other  matters  that  he  has  not 
perhaps,  associated  directly  with  business  are  nevertheless  ai 
essential  part  of  correct  business  English. 

8.  What  to  say.  The  beginner  in  business  writing  is  subjec 
to  exactly  the  same  limitations  as  the  beginner  in  any  field 
He  can  write  only  of  what  he  knows.  However,  nearly  every 
one  knows  something  about  business,  and  in  this  book  onl; 
such  exercises  are  given  as  the  student  is  likely  to  be  familia 
with.  In  some  instances  it  will  be  necessary  for  him  to  obtaii 
special  information,  but  in  no  case  should  he  attempt  to  pile  u] 
empty  words  on  a  subject  of  which  he  knows  little  or  nothing 

9.  How  to  say  it.  You  are  to  write  and  talk  so  that  you 
words  will  convey  to  your  reader  or  listener  exactly  the  meanin] 
that  you  intend  to  convey.  As  a  business  man  or  woman  you 
object  is,  in  the  end,  buying  or  selling,  no  matter  how  remot 
this  may  be  from  the  particular  topic  of  your  conversation  o 
letter.  The  laws  of  grammar  and  rhetoric,  humor,  brilliari 
aphorisms,  a  wide  and  varied  vocabulary,  —  all  these  are  onl 
secondary  matters.  Your  business  is  to  sell  something,  or  t 
buy  it,  with  the  minimum  expenditure  of  time  and  energy. 

Business  English  is  not  a  quaint  and  difficult  dialect  tongu 
requiring  for  its  acquisition  special  teachers  whose  familiarit 
with  trade  has  brought  them  uncanny  knowledge  of  a  mysteriou 
patois  full  of  such  strange  expressions  as  ''  thanking  you  i: 
advance"  and  *'wish  to  advise."  It  may  well  be  doubted  i 
such  curious  idioms,  if  idioms  they  are,  can  fairly  be  calle 
English  at  all.  As  has  been  wisely  said,  ''  The  strictest  execi 
tive  would  have  no  cause  for  complaint  if  he  could  have  hi 
office  correspondence  conducted  by  the  poor  Elstow  tinker  wh 
wrote  the  '  Pilgrim's  Progress ' ;  and  if  he  could  procure  th 
services  of  any  one  of  the  sober  gentlemen  who  translated  th 
Bible  for  King  James  he  would  be  fortunate  indeed." 

You  are  to  study  business  English,  then,  so  that  you  ma 
be  able  to  write  and  speak  well.  Your  aim  will  be  to  mak 
your  statements  (i)  accurate,  (2)  clean,  and  (3)  concise. 


INTRODUCTION  g 

1.  A  business  statement  should  be  accurate.  Any  written 
statement  may  be  construed  from  a  legal  point  of  view.  Of 
course,  when  in  doubt  as  to  the  legal  interpretation  of  a  state- 
ment, a  careful  business  man  consults  his  lawyer,  but  the  habit 
of  making  accurate  statements  removes  much  of  the  danger  of 
liability  that  a  writer  does  not  wish  to  incur. 

2.  A  business  statement  should  be  clear.  A  written  state- 
ment should  be  so  worded  that  it  conveys  to  the  reader  the 
exact  meaning  that  the  writer  intends  to  convey,  and  no  other. 

3.  A  business  statement  should  be  concise.  That  time  is 
money  is  an  old  saying  of  profound  significance  in  business. 
Here  work  must  be  done  not  only  well  but  quickly.  The  in- 
ventor of  a  time-saving  method  or  machine  is  hailed  as  a  bene- 
factor. He  who  uses  more  words  than  are  necessary  wastes  his 
own  and  the  listener's  time  and  weakens  his  own  statement. 

10.  Slang.  Unfortunately  many  who  can  see  that  business 
English  should  be  plain  and  straightforward  imagine  that  some- 
how slang  is  the  most  natural  of  all  styles.  Now  slang  has  a 
real  use  ;  it  is  one  of  the  forces  that  help  to  keep  the  language 
virile  and  picturesque ;  but  slang  is  no  more  good  speech  than 
the  muck  in  a  flower  bed  is  a  rose,  although  the  rose  may 
grow  out  of  it.  Slang  is  a  pitfall  for  many  ready  talkers  who 
seem  to  think  its  use  shows  a  facile  wit  and  self-possession. 
It  must  be  especially  guarded  against  in  business  life,  for  busi- 
ness English,  which  is  the  commercial  language  of  the  worlds 
is  continually  drawing,  from  every  corner  of  the  globe  and  every 
stratum  of  society,  terms  that  are  not  yet  molded  into  true  Eng- 
lish words.  This  is  the  reason  why  it  is  so  difficult  to  draw  the 
line  between  reputable  commercial  language  and  slang. 

Slang  may  be  broadly  defined  as  *'  words  or  expressions  not 
in  authorized  use/'  The  exact  limitations  of  the  word  author- 
ized are,  however,  not  easy  to  set,  and  you  will  have  to  use 
discrimination  in  deciding  whether  certain  words  are  allowable 
or  not.  You  will  need  to  be  careful  not  to  reject  terms  that  give 
life  to  language  ;  if  you  are  too  conservative,  your  language  may 


lO  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

be  correct,  but  it  will  be  inert  and  lack  vim,  and  you  deprive 
yourself  of  some  of  the  most  telling  words  in  English.  Cable- 
gram, phoney  tickler,  paper,  rush  order,  short  sales,  O.K,y 
charge  (customer),  etc.  are  not  only  legitimate  but  also  effective 
commercial  terms.  At  the  same  time  you  must  beware  of  such 
vagabonds  as  right  smart,  classy,  kibosh,  piffle,  and  biz,  which 
have  never  yet  been  admitted  to  the  society  of  good  words. 
Although  slang  may  seem  picturesque  and  emphatic,  it  is  funda- 
mentally inaccurate  and,  like  most  things  that  contain  a  half 
truth,  best  avoided.  A  business  man's  words,  like  his  goods, 
should  be  genuine  and  not  an  imitation  of  the  real  thing. 

EXERCISE  1  -  Oral 

Be  ready  to  name  instances,  real  or  supposed,  in  which  the 
following  things  have  been  bought  or  sold : 

water  goodwill  courtesy 

air  ability  to  talk  physical  strength 

heat  ability  to  spell  education 

an  idea  good  penmanship  personal  appearance 

EXERCISE  2 

Rewrite  in  your  own  words  the  selections  on  pages  i  and  2 
entitled  **  Language  of  Sport "  and  **  Language  of  the  Stock 
Market." 

EXERCISE  3 

Examine  the  letter  given  on  page  3,  and  point  out  the 
expressions  in  it  not  likely  to  be  found  in  a  business  letter. 

EXERCISE  4 

In  a  letter  to  your  teacher  state  as  fully  as  you  can  your 
reasons  for  taking  a  course  in  business  English. 


INTRODUCTION  II 

EXERCISE  5 

Examine  some  other  student's  letter  written  for  Exercise  4, 
Make  for  his  use  a  written  Hst  of  expressions  that  seem  to  you 
(i)  lacking  in  clearness,  (2)  wordy,  and  (3)  incomplete  in 
thought. 

Be  prepared  to  state  what  seems  to  be  the  defect  in  each 
case. 

EXERCISE  6 

Rewrite  your  own  letter  written  for  Exercise  4,  attending 
to  the  criticism  that  has  been  made  of  it. 

EXERCISE  7 

Compare  the  two  letters  given  below  and  be  prepared  to 
show  in  detail  why  the  second  letter  is  the  better  of  the  two. 

Dear  Sir: 

As  directed  in  your  letter,  we  are  shipping  you 
the  goods  you  have  ordered  and  are  making  a  draft  for 
the  amount  of  the  invoice. 

Thanking  you  for  your  order,  we  beg  to  remain 
Yours  very  sincerely, 

Sheldon  &  Sedgewick 

Dear  Sir: 

As  directed  in  your  letter  of  March  6,  we  have 
shipped  to  you  by  fast  freight,  via  M.  &  L.R.R.,  the 
goods  of  which  the  invoice  is  inclosed. 

Following  your  instructions,  we  have  made  a 
thirty  days'  draft  on  you  for  the  amount  of  bill, 
$350.65,  at  the  Peoria  National  Bank,  Peoria,  dated 
March  10. 

Yours  truly, 

Sheldon  &  Sedgewick 


CHAPTER  II 

I.   PRINCIPLES  OF  GRAMMAR 

PARTS  OF  SPEECH 

« 

In  grammar  we  study  both  single  words  and  different  groups 
of  words  called  phrases^  clauses,  and  sentences. 

There  are  eight  kinds  of  words,  known  as  the  eight  parts  of 
speech.   These  are  as  follows  : 

noun  adjective  adverb  preposition 

pronoun  verb  conjunction  interjection 

11.  The  noun.  A  noun  is  the  name  of  a  person,  place,  or  thing, 

girl  town  book  child  street  knife 

12.  Classification  of  nouns.  A  proper  noun  is  the  name  of  a 
particular  person,  place,  or  thing. 

George  Boston  February  Wednesday 

A  proper  noun  always  begins  with  a  capital  letter. 
All  other  nouns  are  common  nouns. 

boy  city  hat  street         month         day 

If  it  is  remembered  that  a  noun  is  a  name  word,  no  difficulty 
should  be  experienced  in  recognizing  this  part  of  speech.  Not 
only  are  the  names  of  such  tangible  objects  as  water,  sugar, 
and  house  nouns,  but  words  that  denote  such  intangible  things 
as  the  weight  of  water,  the  sweetness  of  sugar,  the  height  of  a 
house,  the  rise  of  prices,  and  Xht  failure  of  crops  are  also  nouns, 
for  they  are  real  name  words.  Nouns  like  these  last  ones  are 
usually  called  abstract  nouns. 


congress 

family 

board  (of  directors 

crowd 

or  trustees) 

school 

PRINCIPLES  OF  GRAMMAR  13 

Of  the  various  classes  into  which  grammarians  divide  common 
nouns,  two  others  require  attention,  —  the  collective  noun  and 
the  verbal  noun. 

13.  Collective  noun.  A  collective  noun  is  the  name  of  a  group 
of  persons  or  things. 

class 
firm 
mob 

As  a  rule,  when  such  nouns  are  singular  in  form  they  are 
singular  in  meaning  and  are  therefore  followed  by  a  singular 
verb.  We  usually  say,  for  example,  ''  The  family  was  at  home," 
''  The  family  was  away,"  etc.  Sometimes,  however,  the  collective 
subject  is  considered  not  as  a  unit  but  as  individuals  or  separate 
things.  Then  such  sentences  as  the  following  may  be  correct : 
*'The  family  were  all  at  home,"  "The  family  were  unable  to 
agree  on  a  plan  for  the  holiday." 

14.  Verbal  noun.  A  verbal  noun  is  the  name  of  an  action  and 
is  derived  from  a  verb.  Writing,  talking,  selling,  coming,  din- 
ing, are  derived  respectively  from  the  verbs  write,  talk,  sell, 
come,  dine. 

EXERCISE  1 

Make  a  list  of  the  nouns  in  the  following  selection  and  be 
ready  to  state  clearly  why  you  have  chosen  each  word.  If  you 
find  abstract,  collective,  or  verbal  nouns,  indicate  this  by  writing 
abstract,  collective,  or  verbal  after  each  noun. 

By  applying  Froebel's  methods  to  farming,  the  Crop  Im- 
provement Committee  of  Chicago  hopes  to  increase  the  money 
annually  circulating  in  each  corn-growing  county  by  half  a  mil- 
lion dollars.  There  are,  we  are  told  by  Mr.  Bert  Hall,  secre- 
tary of  the  committee,  one  hundred  thousand  acres  of  com  in 
the  average  county.  By  a  process  of  seed  selection  which  the 
committee  proposes  to  teach  to  the  farmer's  children,  we  can 
add  at  least  ten  bushels  per  acre  to  the  average  yield.  "  Ten 
bushels  more  on  each  acre,"  he  explains  in  one  of  his  circulais 


14  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

to  the  farmer,  ''  will  mean  that  you  have  a  million  bushels  that 
you  never  had  before."  This,  at  the  moderate  price  of  50  cents 
per  bushel,  foots  up  to  $500,000.  The  headquarters  of  the  com- 
mittee are  in  Room  L,  Board  of  Trade,  Chicago.  The  govern- 
ment, the  state  schools  of  agriculture,  the  railroads,  the  grain 
exchanges,  the  superintendents  of  schools,  bankers,  commercial 
clubs,  and  other  important  bodies  cooperate  with  the  committee 
in  its  unique  educational  work. —  Current  Literature,  April,  19 12 

EXERCISE  2 

Make  four  lists  of  five  proper  nouns  each,  suggested  by  the 
follov^ing  common  nouns : 

country  island  city  river 

EXERCISE  3 

Rule  a  sheet  of  paper  according  to  the  form  given  below 
and  classify  the  following  nouns.  Some  of  the  words  may  be 
placed  in  more  than  one  column. . 


pleasure 

customer 

Monday 

patronage 

Minneapolis 

receipt 

(Mr.)  Baird 

summer 

thinking 

mormng 

copy 

business 

convenience 

banking 

time 

letter 

answer 

subscribers 

intention 

24 

force 

firm 

corporation 

interest 

cash 

Proper 

Common 

Collective 

Abstract 

Verbal 

PRINCIPLES  OF  GRAMMAR  1 5 

15.  The  pronoun.  A  pronoun  is  a  word  used  to  take  the  place 
of  a  noun.  Before  a  pronoun  may  be  used,  the  noun  for  which 
it  stands  must  have  been  used  or  be  plainly  understood  as  that 
to  which  the  pronoun  refers.  The  word  for  which  the  pronoun 
stands  is  called  the  antecedent. 

The  use  of  pronouns  avoids  the  monotonous  recurrence  of 
nouns.  ''James  saw  James's  friend;  the  friend  was  signaling 
to  James"  is  certainly  a  less  simple  and  attractive  form  of  state- 
ment than  "James  saw  his  friend,  who  was  signaling  to  him." 

EXERCISE  4 

Point  out  the  antecedent  of  each  of  the  italicized  pronouns 
in  the  following  passages : 

1.  A  new  salesman  goes  out  on  the  road  without  knowing 
how  to  cover  his  territory  economically.  This  means  an  in- 
crease in  expenses,  for  he  naturally  fails  to  obtain  the  volume 
of  business  which  could  be  secured  for  the  outlay.  This  is  a 
loss  which  can  be  measured  in  dollars  and  cents. 

2.  The  new  stenographer  covers  up  her  errors  by  rewriting 
faulty  letters.  Although  such  care  is  to  be  commended,  it  never- 
theless means  an  increase  in  the  running  expenses  of  an  office. 

16.  Classification  of  pronouns.  Like  nouns,  pronouns  are 
divided  into  classes. 

The  personal  pronouns  /,  we,  you,  he,  she,  it,  they,  etc.  indicate, 
first,  a  person  speaking;  second,  a  person  spoken  to;  third, 
a  person  or  thing  spoken  of. 

First  Person  (speaking)         I  (we)  shall  go. 

Second  Person  (spoken  to)   You  will  go. 

Third  Person  (spoken  of)      He  (she,  it,  they)  will  go. 

The  relative  pronouns  who,  which,  that,  and  what  differ  from 
personal  pronouns  in  that  their  antecedents  are  found  immedi- 
ately before  them  in  the  same  sentence ;  as. 

He  who  neglects  his  business  will  find  his  business  neglect- 
ing him. 


t6  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

The  demonstrative  pronouns^  such  as  t/its,  thesCy  that,  those^ 
point  out  or  call  attention  to  special  things  near  the  speaker 
or  at  a  distance :  ''I  think  this  preferable  to  thatT  (See 
page  17  for  pronominal,  or  demonstrative,  adjectives.) 

The  interrogative  pronouns  who,  which,  and  what  are  used  in 
asking  questions. 

EXERCISE  5-Ora/ 

Point  out  each  pronoun  and  its  antecedent  in  the  following 
passages  : 

1.  Many  students  who  can  solve  the  difficult  problems  of  a 
textbook  often  fail  when  they  attempt  the  solution  of  the  ordi- 
nary problems  which  arise  in  business.  One  reason  for  this  is 
that  in  business  no  problem  labels  itself,  but  the  solution  is  left 
to  the  inquirer,  who  must  find  it  out  and  check  it  as  best  he  can. 

2.  The  dictograph  is  a  combination  of  telephone  and  phono- 
graph into  which  a  business  man  may  dictate  his  letters,  and 
which  afterwards  talks  them  back  to  a  typist  using  a  writing 
machine.  It  is  a  machine  which  will  undoubtedly  have  a  wider 
and  wider  sale. 

17.  The  adjective.  An  adjective  is  a  word  used  to  qualify  or 
limit  the  meaning  of  a  noun  or  pronoun.  Different  adjectives 
call  attention  to  color,  size,  shape,  number,  quality,  etc. ;  as, 

wholesome  food  white  house  large  stock 

circular  space  twelfth  day  thirty  days 

18.  Special  classes  of  adjectives.  A,  an,  and  the,  really 
limiting  adjectives,  are  sometimes  called  articles.  A  is  used 
before  a  word  beginning  with  a  consonant  sound ;  as, 

a  house  a  bill  a  European 

An,  which  has  the  same  force  as  a,  is  used  before  a  word 
beginning  with  a  vowel  sound :  an  advertisement,  an  ax,  an 
hour.  (Note  that  European  begins  with  the  consonant  sound 
of  y,  and  hour  with  the  vowel  sound  of  ou) 


PRINCIPLES  OF  GRAMMAR  17 

A  pronominal  adjective  is  one  that  can  he  used  as  a  pronoun. 

It  is  sometimes  called  a  demonstrative  adjective. 

Please  pass  me  f/iose  papers.    (Adjective.) 
Which  of  f/iose  do  you  want  ?    (Pronoun.) 
I  will  give  you  l?ot/i  books.    (Adjective.) 
^ot/i  rose  at  the  question.    (Pronoun.) 

A  proper  adjective  is  one  formed  from  a  proper  noun ;  like  a 
proper  noun,  it  begins  with  a  capital  letter ;  as, 

the  American  government      an  Indian  runner      French  laces 

Almost  any  noun  can  be  made  to  do  the  work  of  an 
adjective :  "  I  like  life  in  the  country'' ;  ''  I  like  country  life" 
(see  sect.  25). 

EXERCISE  6 -Oral 

Point  out  the  adjectives  in  the  selection  on  page  13  and  indi- 
cate precisely  in  what  way  each  modifies  or  limits  the  meaning 
of  the  noun  or  pronoun. 

EXERCISE  7 

Select  from  your  reading  and  bring  to  class  a  paragraph  which 
contains  an  unusually  large  number  of  adjectives.  Make  a  list 
of  them,  with  a  corresponding  list  of  the  nouns  and  pronouns 
which  they  modify. 

EXERCISE  8  —  Oral  or  Written 

Use  each  of  the  following  words  as  an  adjective.  A  part  of 
the  exercise  may  be  a  letter  containing  as  many  of  the  words 
as  possible. 


brick 

school 

writing 

separate 

wooden 

desk 

solid 

personal 

paper 

cash 

bright 

typewriting 

house 

money 

inclosed 

dear 

I8  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

19.  The  verb.i  A  verb  is  a  word  used  to  declare  or  assert  some- 
thing about  a  person j  place,  or  thing.  It  asserts  every  possible 
variety  of  action  or  condition.    Thus, 

The  horse  galloped.  He  goes. 

The  people  stood.  You  came. 

He  is  busy.  They  sit. 

He  hurries,  I  hope. 

They /ear.  You  wish. 

When  two  or  three  verb-forms  are  combined  to  form  one 
verb,  such  a  combination  is  called  a  verb-phrase.    Thus, 

They  could  have  gone.  He  is  hurrying, 

I  have  audited.  You  will  sign. 

We  might  have  been.  They  had  been. 

We  shall  protest.  She  was  robbed, 

EXERCISE  9 

1.  Make  a  list  of  the  verbs  in  the  letter  on  page  4.  Point 
out  any  verb-phrases. 

2.  Use  the  following  words  as  verbs : 

state  offer  -      request 

advise  demand  differ 


20.  The  adverb.    An  adverb  is  a  word  used  to  modify  a  verb^ 
an  adjective,  or  another  adverb. 

He  walks  swiftly. 

The  orange  is  very  large. 

He  talks  too  fast. 

Adverbs  answer  the  questions,  Where  ?  When  ?  How  ?  How 
much  ?  etc. ;  that  is,  they  denote  place,  time,  manner,  degree,  etc. 

He  is  coming  here.  He  acts  impulsively. 

We  shall  buy  it  soon.  They  were  greatly  surprised. 

1  For  detailed  treatment  of  the  verb  see  Appendix  D. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  GRAMMAR  19 

21.  Confusion  of  adverbs  and  adjectives.  Adverbs  are  some- 
times confused  with  adjectives  in  use.  Many  adverbs  are  formed 
from  adjectives  by  the  addition  of  ly  and  may  be  distinguished 
by  this  ending;  as, 

quick,  quick/)^  swift,  swift/y  soft,  soft/^ 

EXERCISE  10 -Ore/ 

Distinguish  between  the  use  of  the  adjectives  and  adverbs 
in  the  following  sentences : 

1.  He  looks  sharp.    He  looks  sharply. 

2.  The  boy  was  quick  to  learn.    The  boy  learned  quickly. 

3.  We  crossed  a  rapid  stream.    We  crossed  the  stream  rapidly. 

4.  He  is  a  frequent  caller  at  our  house.    He  calls  frequently 
at  our  house. 

EXERCISE  W-Oral 

Point  out  the  adjectives  and  adverbs  in  the  passage  on 
page  ISO. 


22.  The  preposition.    A  preposition  is  a  word  used  before  a  noun 
or  pronoun  to  show  its  relation  to  another  word  in  the  sentence. 

Some  of  the  common  prepositions  are  the  following : 


after 

from 

by 

on 

through 

with 

beside 

down 

in 

to 

without 

under 

before 

for 

of 

up 

within 

since 

In  the  following  sentences  notice  how  each  preposition  shows 
relation  between  the  noun  or  pronoun  that  follows  it  and  some 
preceding  word : 

The  proprietor  always  walks  to  the  store. 
Some  good  oranges  com^  from  Florida. 
A  salesman  looks  for  customers. 
I  will  go  with  you. 


20  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

One  noticeable  fact  about  prepositions  is  their  similarity  to 
adverbs.  Notice  the  different  uses  of  down  in  the  following 
sentences : 

He  has  just  gone  down  (preposition)  the  hill. 
He  has  just  gone  down  (adverb). 

A  preposition  ordinarily  precedes  its  object,  but  in  numerous 
instances  may  follow  it,  even  when  such  an  order  places  the 
preposition  at  the  close  of  a  clause  or  sentence.  Such  expres- 
sions as  ''  What  did  you  do  th3.t  for?  "  ''  I  don't  know  what  we 
are  coming  to/'  and  the  like  are  justified  by  the  best  usage. 

EXERCISE  12'- Oral 

In  the  letter  on  page  3  point  out  the  adverbs  and  prepositions, 
the  words  modified  by  the  adverbs,  and  the  words  to  which  the 
nouns  or  pronouns  are  related  by  prepositions. 

EXERCISE  13 

Make  a  list  of  the  prepositions  in  the  following  sentences  and 
state  their  relation  to  other  words  : 

1.  What  do  you  attribute  that  to  ? 

2.  He  wishes  to  speak  to  you. 

3.  Between  you  and  me,  he  is  too  particular. 

4.  I  found  this  among  your  letters  in  the  file. 

5.  The  distance  from  the  floor  to  the  top  of  the  flagstaff  is 
almost  one  hundred  and  ten  feet. 

6.  I  am  in  receipt  of  your  last  letter. 


23.  The  conjunction.    A  conjunction  is  a  word  used  to  conned 
words,  phrases,  or  clauses. 

Black  and  white. 

He  was  a  man  of  honor,  Ifuf  of  bad  temper. 

You  may  go  or  you  may  stay. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  GRAMMAR 


21 

A  coordinating  conjunction  is  one  that  connects  words,  phrases, 
or  clauses  of  equal  order  or  rank.  The  principal  coordinate  con' 
junctions  are 

and  still  therefore    ^         then  so 

but  yet  however     *         or  for 

The  following  conjunctions  often  appear  in  pairs : 
both  ...  and  neither  ...  nor 

either  ...  or  not  only  ...  but  also 

A  subordinating  conjunction  is  one  that  connects  a  subordinate 
clause  with  a  principal  clause.  The  principal  subordinate  con- 
junctions are 

whenever  if  because  then 

where  since  unless  why 

wherever  as  though  than 

whether  for  although  that 


after 
before 
until 
when 


Several  common  compound  conjunctions  are 

in  order  that  so  that  as  though 

provided  that  as  if  even  if 


as  soon  as 
in  case  that 


EXERCISE  14 
Make  a  list  of  all  the  conjunctions  in  the  letter  on  page  112. 

EXERCISE  15 

Find  and  copy,  or  write  yourself,  five  or  more  sentences  con- 
taining coordinating  conjunctions,  and  a  similar  number  of  sen- 
tences containing  subordinating  conjunctions.  Underline  the 
conjunctions  and  be  ready  to  explain  how  you  know  that  they 
are  conjunctions  and  not  adverbs  or  prepositions. 


EXERCISE  16 

Use  the  following  conjunctions  in  sentences : 

and                 yet                        so 
but                 therefore               for 

either 
or 

22  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

24.  The  interjection.  An  interjection  is  a  word  used  to  express 
strong  feeling  ;  it  is  not  grammatically  related  to  any  other  word 
in  the  sentence. 

O  or  oh         ah         alas         hurrah         bah         pshaw 

EXERCISE  17 

Arrange  the  words  in  the  letter  on  page  4  in  columns, 
according  to  their  use  as  parts  of  speech. 


25.  Words  used  as  different  parts  of  speech.  Many  words  are 
sometimes  one  part  of  speech  and  sometimes  another.  This 
variation  depends  on  the  grammatical  use  of  the  word.  Thus, 
the  word  business  may  be  either  an  adjective  or  a  noun,  as  the 
following  sentences  show  : 

He  is  a  good  business  man. 
His  business  is  good.  . 

Other  words  may  serve  as  noun,  adjective,  or  verb. 

A  rush  for  the  best  seats. 
Rush  orders. 
They  rush  home. 

Remember  what  has  been  said  of  the  varying  use  of  such 
words  as  tkis^  these ^  that,  and  those  as  adjectives  or  pronouns. 
A  few  words  like  before,  after,  and  since  can  be  either  preposi- 
tions or  conjunctions.  Down,  tip,  etc.  can  be  either  prepositions 
or  adverbs.  That  is  not  only  an  adjective  but  may  be  also  a 
demonstrative  pronoun,  a  relative  pronoun,  or  a  subordinate 
conjunction. 

That  book  is  mine.    (Adjective.) 

That  is  the  book.    (Demonstrative  pronoun.) 

I  have  brought  you  the  book  that  you  wish.    (Relative  pronoun.) 

He  said  that  I  had  the  book.    (Subordinate  conjunction.) 


PRINCIPLES  OF  GRAMMAR  23 

EXERCISE  18  -  Oral  or  Written 

Tell  what  part  of  speech  each  of  the  italicized  words  in  the 
following  sentences  is : 

1.  The  receiving  clerk  was  at  the  door. 

2.  They  are  receiving  many  orders. 

3.  Receiving  and  delivering  are  disdnct  operations  in  business. 

4.  The  traffic  manager  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  trade. 
6.  Western  traffic  is  growing  heavier  every  day. 

6.  The  firms  traffic  in  fancy  goods  from  abroad. 

7.  Business  is  looking  up. 

8.  The  train  is  on  the  up-gx2A^} 

9.  He  went  up  the  street. 

10.  We  all  have  our  ups  and  downs. 

11.  My  receipt  of  the  check  was  unexpected. 

EXERCISE  19  —  Oral  or  Written 

Use  each  of  the  following  words  as  two  parts  of  speech : 

mailing  letter  name  post  just 

guarantee  notice  stock  even  note 

purchase  address  those  after  stamp 

envelope  interest  waste  paste  price 

EXERCISE  20 

Make  a  list  of  ten  words  that  may  be  used  as  at  least  two 
parts  of  speech,  and  illustrate  their  use  in  sentences. 

26.  One  word  as  two  parts  of  speech.  Just  as  one  person 
may  hold  two  positions  in  a  corporation  at  the  same  time,  be- 
ing, for  example,  treasurer  and  secretary,  so  a  word  may  perform 
the  duties  of  more  than  one  part  of  speech  in  a  sentence. 

He  told  me  what  he  had  said. 

1  6^  in  up-grade  has  an  adjectival  meaning  with  reference  to  grade.  Up-grade 
is  of  course  a  compound  noun. 


24  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

What  is  a  pronoun,  object  of  had  said,  and  it  has  also  a 
conjunctive  force  by  which  it  connects  the  subordinate  clause 
*'what  he  had  said"  with  the  main  clause. 

He  told  me  what  to  pay. 

What  is  a  pronoun,  object  of  the  infinitive  to  pay,  but  has  also 
an  adverbial  force  meaning  how  much, 

I  asked  him  to  find  the  letter. 

Him  is  a  pronoun  in  the  objective  case,  subject  of  the  infinitive 
to  find,  but  it  has  also  a  direct  objective  relation  to  the  verb 
asked,  which  is  obvious  enough  in  the  meaning. 

Infinitives  and  participles  have  the  qualities  of  different 
parts  of  speech. 

To  explain  clearly  is  impossible. 

The  infinitive  to  explain  is  a  noun,  subject  of  is,  but  it  is  also 
verbal  in  force,  for  it  expresses  action ;  furthermore,  its  verbal 
meaning  is  modified  by  the  adverb  clearly, 

I  saw  him  walking  rapidly  toward  his  desk. 

The  participle  walking  is  an  adjective  modifying  him,  but  it; 
expresses  action  as  well  and  therefore  has  a  verbal  meaning. 
It  is  therefore  modified  by  the  adverb  rapidly, 

I  am  going  home. 

Home  is  an  adverb  modifying  am  going  and  answering  the 
question  where  or  whither.    It  is  also  a  common  noun. 

A  realization  of  the  flexibility  of  the  parts  of  speech  will  make 
the  student  see  that  language  is  not  cut  and  dried.  English 
cannot  be  disposed  of  by  a  few  grammatical  rules.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  is  an  extremely  mobile  and  versatile  thing,  well  adapted. 
to  express  all  the  subtleties  and  varieties  of  thought. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  GRAMMAR  25 

EXERCISE  21 

After  each  italicized  word  below  give  its  name  as  a  part  of 
speech  and  explain  its  function  or  functions  in  the  sentence : 

1.  He  walked  \h&  platform  rapidly. 

2.  We  saw  him  writing  nervously  at  his  desk. 

3.  To  admit  your  contention  is  to  destroy  our  whole  project. 

4.  I  told  you  to  telephone  to  him. 

5.  Please  ask  him  w/iat  to  do  about  the  books. 

6.  He  wrote  the  letter  za/iic/i  secured  the  order. 

THE  SENTENCE 

A  sentence  is  a  group  of  words  expressing  a  complete  thought. 

He  walks. 

He  works  at  his  desk  long  after  the  store  is  closed. 

A  sentence  is  made  up  of  two  parts :  one  called  the  subject, 
the  other  the  predicate. 

The  subject  represents  that  about  which  something  is  said  or 
asserted. 

Agents  travel.  Customers  buy.  The  store  is  closed. 

The  predicate  says  or  asserts  something  about  the  subject. 

Agents  travel.         Customers  buy.  The  store  is  closed. 

Either  subject  or  predicate,  or  both,  may  be  enlarged  to  any 
extent  by  the  addition  of  qualifying  words  and  expressions 
called  modifiers,  as  in  the  following  sentence : 

Enterprising  agents  of  great  industries  travel  far,  sometimes 
across  the  continent. 
« 
The  simple  subject  is  the  noun  or  pronoun  which  signifies  that 

about  which  the  assertion  is  made.  The  simple  predicate  is  the 
verb  that  makes  the  assertion.  In  the  sentence  given  above, 
agents  is  the  simple  subject  and  travel  is  the  simple  predicate, 
both  in  the  short  sentence  ''Agents  travel"  and  in  the  longer 


26  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

sentence  which  follows.  In  the  longer  sentence,  Enterprising 
agents  of  great  industries  is  the  complete  subject,  and  travel 
far^  sometimes  across  the  continent  is  the  complete  predicate. 

27.  Sentence  classification.  Sentences  may  be  classified 
according  to  {a)  use  and  (b)  structure. 

28.  Use  of  sentences.  Sentences  are  classified  according  to 
their  use  as  declarative^  interrogative^  imperative,  or  exclamatory, 

A  declarative  sentence  declares  or  asserts  something  as  a  fact. 

There  will  be  a  meeting  of  the  council  tonight. 

An  interrogative  sentence  asks  a  question. 

Who  was  the  second  president  of  the  United  States  ? 

An  imperative  sentence  expresses  a  command^  a  request,  or 
an  entreaty. 

Give  me  the  book.  Please  come.  Save  me  ! 

An  exclamatory  sentence  expresses  strong  feeling  or  emotion. 

What  a  wonderful  bargain  that  is  1 

EXERCISE  22  -  Oral 

In  the  letter  on  page  208  point  out  in  each  of  the  first  five 
sentences  the  simple  subject  and  the  simple  predicate ;  also  the 
complete  subject  and  the  complete  predicate. 

EXERCISE  23  —  Oral  or  Written 

Enlarge  each  of  the  following  sentences  by  the  addition  of 
modifiers.  Treat  the  enlarged  sentences  according  to  the 
directions  given  in  Exercise  22. 

1.  Mail  should  be  prepaid. 

2.  Packages  should  be  addressed. 

3.  Writing  pays. 

4.  The  store  is  closed. 

5.  The  bank  closed. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  GRAMMAR  27 

EXERCISE  24 

Enlarge  each  of  the  following  sentences  by  the  addition 
of  modifiers.  Name  each  sentence  as  simple,  complex,  or 
compound. 

1.  The  Postmaster  General  issues  a  pamphlet 

2.  The  ''  Postal  Guide ''  is  kept  on  file. 

3.  Slang  is  a  pitfall. 

4.  The  committee  hopes. 

5.  Important  bodies  cooperate  with  the  committee. 

6.  He  is  prepared. 

7.  The  proprietor  always  walks. 

EXERCISE  25  —  Oral  or  Written 

In  the  letter  on  page  112  classify  the  sentences  as  declarative, 
interrogative,  or  imperative. 

EXERCISE  26 

Copy  the  following  sentences.  In  each  underline  the  simple 
subject  and  the  simple  predicate.  After  each  sentence  give 
its  classification  as  declarative,  interrogative,  imperative,  or 
exclamatory. 

1.  I  wish  to  call  your  attention  to  the  inclosed  advertisement. 

2.  Why  did  you  call  my  attention  to  the  inclosed  advertise- 
ment ? 

3.  Please  call  his  attention  to  the  inclosed  advertisement. 

4.  Did  you  call  his  attention  to  the  inclosed  advertisement  ? 

5.  May  we  hear  from  you  by  return  mail? 

6.  Give  my  best  regards  to  your  brother. 

7.  We  should  be  glad  to  have  your  check  this  week. 

8.  I  regret  that  I  cannot  agree  with  the  statements  in  your 
letter  of  June  15. 

9.  We  should  like  to  hear  from  you  at  once. 

10.  Please  wire  immediately. 

11.  May  I  hear  from  you  at  once  ? 

12.  I  wish  to  hear  from  you  at  once. 


28  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

29.  Structure  of  sentences.  Sentences  are  classified  accord- 
ing to  their  structure  as  simple,  complex,  or  compound. 

A  simple  sentence  contains  hut  one  statement;  that  is,  it  has 
but  one  subject  and  one  predicate ;  as, 

The  stranger  rang  the  bell. 

A  compound  sentence  contains  two  or  more  independent  state- 
ments connected  by  a  coordinate  conjunction. 

The  stranger  rang  the  bell  and  the  servant  came  to  the  door. 

It  should  be  noted  that  a  sentence  may  have  a  compound 
subject,  or  a  compound  predicate,  or  both,  and  still  be  a  simple 
sentence ;  as,  ^'Men  and  women  often  occupy  similar  positions 
in  business"  (compound  subject) ;  ''Men  often  do  no  more  than 
women,  but  receive  more  pay  "  (compound  predicate) ;  ^'Meji 
and  women  today  take  up  much  the  same  business  occupations, 
but  often  receive  different  pay  "  (compound  subject  and  com- 
pound predicate).  By  the  insertion  of  they  before  receive  this 
sentence  would  be  made  compound. 

A  complex  sentence  contains  one  independent  statement  joined  to 
at  least  one  dependent  {subordinate)  statement;  as,  "  The  servant 
came  to  the  door  when  the  stranger  rang  the  bell."  {Tks  servant 
came  to  the  door  is  the  independent  statement,  and  (when)  the 
stranger  rang  the  bell  is  the  dependent  statement.) 

EXERCISE  27 -Ora/ 

Be  prepared  to  classify  the  sentences  in  the  selection  on 
page  1 35  as  simple,  complex,  or  compound. 

EXERCISE  28 

Classify  the  sentences  in  the  following  selection  as  simple, 
complex,  or  compound,  and  make  a  list  of  the  simple  subjects 
and  simple  predicates.  (Suggestion:  (i)  complex \  student 
may  ask,  he  is.) 


PRINCIPLES  OF  GRAMMAR  29 

1.  Amid  all  the  complexities  of  language  and  the  rules  of 
good  use,  the  student  may  well  ask  how  he  is  to  be  sure  of  the 
right  word.  2.  One  cannot  go  about  with  a  dictionary  in  his 
hand  and  a  grammar  in  his  pocket.  3.  However,  the  way  is 
pretty  well  marked,  and  one  need  not  be  carelessly  wandering  off 
in  the  by-paths  of  slang.  4.  Furthermore,  one  can  usually  tell  if 
he  is  on  the  right  or  wrong  road  by  noting  the  kind  of  travelers. 

5.  He  should  attend  to  the  writing  and  talk  of  the  well-informed. 

6.  Finally,  he  should  not  be  afraid  to  consult  his  Blue  Book  — 
his  dictionary  or  grammar  —  when  he  is  not  sure  of  the  correct 
use  of  troublesome  words  like  myself,  like,  and  shall.  7.  The 
dictates  of  language  are  not  erratic,  certainly  not  so  changeable 
and  weird  as  those  of  fashions  in  dress.  —  Davis,  "  Use  of  Words  '* 


THE   CLAUSE 

A  clause  is  a  group  of  words  which  contains  a  subject  and  a 
predicate,  hut  which  is  used  as  part  of  a  sentence.  The  separate 
statements  in  a  compound  or  a  complex  sentence  are  clauses. 

Clauses  are  either  independent  or  dependent. 

Independent  clause  is  the  name  given  to  each  separate  state- 
ment of  a  compound  sentence  and  to  the  independent  statement  of 
a  complex  sentence, 

A  dependent  clause  is  one  that  qualifies  or  limits  an  independent 
clause.  Thus,  in  the  sentence  ''  I  know  the  man  who  is  here," 
who  is  here  performs  the  work  of  an  adjective  in  that  it  tells 
something  about  the  noun  man. 

Dependent  clauses  may  be  noun  clauses,  adjective  clauses,  or 
adverbial  clauses. 

I  know  that  he  is  right.  (Noun  clause,  object  of  the  verb  know.) 

The  store  which  I  pointed  out  to  you  belongs  to  my  brother. 
(Adjective  clause,  modifying  the  noun  store) 

I  shall  leave  when  the  clock  strikes  ten.  (Adverbial  clause, 
answering  the  question  When  ?  and  modifying  the  verb  shall 
leave) 

When  the  letter  came  (adverbial  clause)  he  was  at  the  desk 
which  is  near  the  window  (adjective  clause). 


30  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Connected  clauses  that  are  of  the  same  rank,  both  independent 
or  dependent,  are  said  to  be  coordinate.  Coordinate  clauses  are 
connected  by  coordinating  conjunctions. 

■    He  went  on  with  his  work  and  /  stepped  to  the  telephone. 
(Independent  coordinate  clauses.) 

His  employers  promoted  him  because  he  has  natural  ability 
and  because  he  is  diligent,    (Dependent  coordinate  clauses.) 


EXERCISE  29  —  Oral 

Classify  the  clauses  in  the  selection  on  page  1 3  as  independent 
or  dependent.  Tell  whether  the  dependent  clauses  are  noun, 
adjective,  or  adverbial  in  their  construction. 


EXERCISE  30 

Classify  the  clauses  in  the  following  selection  in  accordance 
with  the  instructions  in  Exercise  28. 

The  committee  from  the  high-school  graduating  class  were 
at  the  jeweler's  ordering  the  class  pins.  They  wished  an  original 
design,  representing  a  youth  surveying  the  universe. 

"  About  how  large  would  you  like  the  figures  to  be  ?  "  asked 
the  jeweler. 

^*  Well,"  said  the  chairman  of  the  committee,  ^^  we  thought 
the  student  should  cover  about  three  quarters  of  the  pin,  and  the 
universe  the  rest  of  it." 

A  phrase  is  a  group  of  connected  words  without  a  subject  and  a 
predicate,  (Compare  definition  of  clause,  p.  29.)  Phrases,  like 
clauses,  are  used  as  nouns,  adjectives,  or  adverbs. 

Accepting  rebates  from  railroad  companies  is  sometimes  for- 
bidden by  law.    (Noun  phrase,  subject  of  the  verb  />.) 

I  spoke  to  the  superintendent  of  the  store,  (Adjective  phrase, 
modifying  the  noun  superintendent^ 

He  went  up  the  ladder,  (Adverbial  phrase,  modifying  the 
verb  went,) 


APPLICATION  OF  GRAMMAR  3 1 

EXERCISE  31  —  Oral 

In  the  letter  on  page  4  point  out  the  noun,  the  adjective, 
and  the  adverbial  phrases. 

EXERCISE  32 

In  the  following   selection   classify  the   phrases   as   noun, 
adjective,  or  adverbial  phrases. 

A  good  many  concerns  have  learned  the  value  of  using  a 
special  chair  for  unwelcome  guests.  An  ordinary  office  chair  may 
be  made  most  uncomfortable,  for  prolonged  visits,  by  cutting 
an  inch  or  so  off  the  front  legs. 

The  caller  then  cannot  help  slipping  forward  on  the  seat. 
A  set  of  muscles  gets  tired,  though  the  visitor  does  not  know 
why  he  is  uncomfortable.  He  may  not  clearly  realize  that  he 
is  uncomfortable ;  but  his  unconscious  mind  realizes  it,  and  tells 
him  it  is  time  to  be  moving  along  I 

II.  APPLICATION  OF  GRAMMARS 

30.  Inflection.    Inflection  is  a  change  in  the  form  of  a  word  to 
indicate  a  change  in  its  meaning  or  its  relation  to  some  other  word. 

Desk  is ;  deski-  are,  I  write ;  he  writer. 

FORMATION  OF  PLURALS 
EXERCISE  33  —  Oral  or  Written 
Give  the  plurals  of  the  following  words : 


pen 

lady 

chimney 

chromo 

son-in-law 

chair 

city 

valley 

dynamo 

daughter-in-law 

office 

body 

Filipino 

roof 

child 

piano 

Mary 

knife 

mouse 

cargo 

Henry 

dress 

half 

ox 

potato 

James 

brush 

loaf 

tooth 

tomato 

chintz 

shelf 

goose 

calico 

Mr.  Smith 

box 

wharf 

foot 

manifesto 

Miss  Jones 

1  For  definitions,  rules,  and  paradigms,  see  Appendix  D. 


32  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  34 

Be  prepared  to  write  from  dictation  the  singular  or  plural  of 


the  following  words : 

Singular 

Plural 

alumna 

alumnae 

alumnus 

alumni 

analysis 

analyses 

appendix 

appendices  or  appendixes 

bacterium 

bacteria 

datum 

data 

erratum 

errata 

formula 

formulae  or  formulas 

hypothesis 

hypotheses 

memorandum 

memoranda  or  memorandums 

parenthesis 

parentheses 

phenomenon 

phenomena 

EXERCISE  35 

I.  Use  each  of  the  following  words  with  a  plural  verb : 

bellows 

scissors                         tongs 

pincers 

shears                           dregs 

riches 

tidings                           assets 

2.  Use  each  of  the  following  words  with  a  singular  verb  : 

news  politics  athletics  molasses 

3.  With  the  aid  of  a  dictionary  or  grammar  decide  in  each 
case  whether  is  or  are  is  the  correct  form  to  be  used  with  the 
following : 

wages  economics  summons 

means  three  per  cent  thanks 

EXERCISE  36 

Letters,  figures,  and  other  signs  form  their  plurals  by  adding 
an  apostrophe  and  s  to  the  singular.  Form  the  plural  of  each 
of  the  following  symbols  :  (1)  the  vowels  ;  (2)  four  consonants  ; 
(3)  the  cardinal  numbers  from  i  to  9  ;  (4)  three  algebraic  or 
arithmetical  symbols. 


APPLICATION  OF  GRAMMAR 


EXERCISE  37 

Write  the  plural  of  each  of  the 

following  words  : 

mosquito 

bamboo 

brother 

lash 

spoonful 

chimney 

sheep 

baby 

manservant 

journey 

deer 

body 

mother-in-law 

dynamo 

Percy 

fish 

William 

Eskimo 

wife 

trout 

Frenchman 

volcano 

woman 

paste 

Miss  Hall 

church 

index 

jury 
hero 

Mr.  Moore 

motto 

tongs 

vice  president 

grief 

ink 

geometry 

EXERCISE  38 

33 


Write  (i)  the  plurals  of  the  days  of  the  week ;  (2)  the  plural 
of  your  first  name ;  (3)  the  plural  of  your  last  name. 


EXERCISE  39  — Oral 

Give  the  reason  why  each  of  the  nouns  and  pronouns  in  tht 
selection  on  page  143  is  in  the  nominative  or  objective  case. 
(The  pronoun  its,  which  occurs  twice  in  the  selection,  is  in  the 
possessive  case.) 

EXERCISE  40 

Give  the  case  of  the  italicized  words  in  the  following 
selection : 

Alexander  T.  Stewart  was  the  foremost  merchant  of  his  time 
in  this  country.  His  store  was  stocked  with  the  best  to  be  had 
in  the  lines  represented,  and  everything  bought  at  Stewart's  was 
considered  standard  and  was  highly  prized.  Mr.  Stewart's ////jj^- 
ment  of  goods  has  been  characterized  as  supreme.  He  was  sen- 
sitive to  fine  distinctions  in  texture,  touch,  and  color  \  his  taste  was 
excellent;  he  knew  values.  Today  he  would  be  called  a  good 
merchandiser.  He  was  ahead  of  his  times  in  his  uncompromising 
stand  on  two  important  principles : 

1.  To  have  but  one  price. 

2.  To  tell  the  truth  regarding  everything  sold. 


34  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  41 

Bring  to  class  quotations  from  some  book  that  you  are 
reading,  including  at  least  three  examples  of  each  of  the  fol- 
lowing :  predicate  nominative,  direct  object,  word  or  phrase  in 
apposition. 

31.  Possessive  case.  The  possessive  case  as  a  rule  denotes 
real  ownership  and  hence  is  usually  applied  only  to  things 
really  alive.  Thus,  we  say  ''  the  man's  house  "  and  ''  the  door 
of  the  house."  As  a  rule  we  do  not  say  ''the  house  of  the 
man"  or  ''the  house's  door."  There  is  also  often  a  distinct 
difference  in  meaning  between  the  noun  in  the  regular  pos- 
sessive and  the  noun  preceded  by  ^  ("  the  president's  public 
reception,"  "the  public  reception  of  the  president") ;  but  such 
expressions  as  "day's  work,"  "month's  trip,"  "three  years* 
contract,"  "two  hours'  walk,"  "a  moment's  delay,"  etc.  have 
the  sanction  of  good  usage. 

When  the  noun  denotes  a  quality,  an  act,  or  the  like,  either 
the  possessive  form  or  the  ^-phrase  is  correct :  as  "  Anne's  kind- 
ness," "the  kindness  of  Anne  "  ;'  "the  president's  sickness," 
"  the  sickness  of  the  president." 


EXERCISE  42 

Write  the  possessive 

case,  singular 

and  plural, 

of  any  ten 

of  the  following  words 

:    (commander- 

in-chief's,  commanders- 

in-chief 's). 

commander-in-chief 

American 

woman 

clerk 

mother-in-law 

accountant 

farmer 

hero 

government 

employee 

Jones 

man 

stenographer 

brother 

sheep 

lady 

EXERCISE  43  —  Oral  or  Written 

Use  the  names  of  ten  classmates  in  possessive  phrases ;  as, 
John  Smith's  book. 


APPLICATION  OF  GRAMMAR 


35 


EXERCISE  44 

Make  a  list  of  ten  business  firms  and  use  each  in  the  posses- 
sive case ;  as,  "  Wanamaker's  new  store  " ;  "  Milton  and  Burrows' 
spring  opening."  Distinguish  this  use  of  the  possessive  with  a 
firm  name  from  that  in  such  sentences  as  '*  Simms's  and  Jones's 
stores  are  both  doing  a  good  business";  or,  '*  Neither  Hascall 
nor  Babb's  geography  is  now  used." 

EXERCISE  45 

As  seems  best,  use  the  possessive  case  or  the  preposition  of 
('  President  McKinley's  second  term  " ; ''  invention  of  printing") 
to  express  relation  between  the  words  in  the  following : 

President  McKinley,  second  term ;  invention,  printing ;  ac- 
counting, method ;  day,  pay ;  Merrill,  store ;  mayor,  office ; 
three  year,  saving ;  the  house,  foundation ;  the  United  States, 
government ;  California,  seaports ;  the  city  clerk,  rooms ;  the 
knife,  handle;  the  cow,  horns;  the  store,  heating  system;  a 
plumber,  bill;  an  agent,  expenses;  janitor,  duties;  a  church, 
steeple ;  the  state,  capital ;  auctioneer,  announcement ;  jury,  ver- 
dict ;  store,  owner ;  teacher,  advice  ;  book,  cover ;  Burns,  poems ; 
Mr.  Jones,  house;  pupils,  books;  senator,  term;  doctor, 
prescription. 

EXERCISE  46 
Make  a  list  of  twenty  possessive  forms  that  you  find  in  adver- 
tisements, on  store  signs,  or  on  delivery  wagons.    Note  the 
number  of  each,  whether  singular  or  plural.    Do  you  find  these 
forms  always  correctly  used  ? 

EXERCISE  47 
Copy  the  following,  inserting  apostrophes  where  needed : 

1.  Do  you  like  the  Joneses  house  ? 

2.  The  child  hurt  its  finger. 

3.  My  brothers  are  staying  at  Toms  bungalow. 

4.  I  lost  my  sisters  glove. 


36  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

5.  Jamess  horse  is  in  the  farmers  stable. 

6.  An  employers  interests  should  be  an  employees. 

7.  His  mother-in-laws  sisters  are  teachers  in  a  girls  school. 

8.  The  Rockway  Life  Insurance  Company s  statements  are 
reliable. 

9.  Potter  and  Johnsons  stores  were  burned. 

10.  Websters  and  Worcesters  dictionaries  are  widely  used.     . 

11.  Pass  me  Johns  hat. 

12.  I  have  examined  the  cashiers  account. 

13.  His  store  is  at  Simmonds  Corner. 

14.  There   were  brisk    sales   of   ladies  slippers  and   mens 
coats. 

15.  Childrens  games  and  womens  coats  are  found  on  the 
fourth  floor. 

16.  The  womens  association  keeps  a  directory  of  desirable 
girls  schools. 

17.  He  began  work  as  an  office  boy  in  his  father-in-laws 
store. 

18.  I  studied  last  winter  at  Brigham  and  Coulters  Business 
School. 

PRONOUNS 

EXERCISE  48 

Copy  the  following  sentences  and  substitute  /,  my,  me, 
myself,  he,  his,  him,  or  himself  for  the  asterisks.  Justify 
your  choice. 

1.  John  and  *  went  to  dinner  together. 

2.  *  wished  to  be  remembered  to  both  Mary  and  *. 

3.  Please  help  *  to  get  down  or  *  may  hurt  *. 

4.  Between  you  and  *,  *  is  a  poor  salesman. 

5.  ^  is  a  better  writer  than  *.  5 

6.  Did  William  or  *  receive  the  promotion  ? 

7.  *  saw  the  accountant  and  *  coming  down  the  street. 

8.  Thank  you,  but  *  wish  to  tell  *  about  it  *. 

9.  Who  is  there  ?   *. 

10.  Will  you  let  Tom  and  *  have  *  ball  ? 

11.  *  prefer  to  do  it  *. 


APPLICATION  OF  GRAMMAR  37 

EXERCISE  49  -  Oral  or  Written 

Substitute  sAe,  her,  herself,  they,  their,  them,  or  them- 
selves for  the  asterisks,  according  to  the  directions  in 
Exercise  48. 

1.  Next  summer  the  other  girls   and  *  are  going  to  the 
seashore. 

2.  It  was  *  who  bowed  to  *. 

3.  *  promised  that  *  would  not  send  anybody  else,  but  said 
that  *  would  come  *. 

4.  Would  you  pay  the  bill  if  you  were  *  ? 

5.  The  firm  gave  *  all  a  holiday. 

6.  *  said  that  *  would  count  the  cash  for  *. 

7.  If  *  will  not  help  *,  who  can  help  *  t 

8.  *  should  not  try  to  do  more  than  *. 

9.  Who  told  *  to  go  1 

10.  The  elder  woman  is  *. 

11.  I  asked  *  to  go  because  I  thought  it  ought  to  be  *  who 
first  met  *. 

12.  *  has  as  much  work  as  *  to  do ;  in  fact,  *  share  is  more 
than  that  of  the  rest  of  *  all  together. 

EXERCISE  50 

Substitute  for  each  asterisk  the  proper  form  of  a  personal 
pronoun  (/,  yotc,  he,  she,  it).  Indicate  the  fact  when  more 
than  one  choice  is  possible. 

1.  Everyone  has  gone  except  *  and  *. 

2.  Let  *  and  *  go  to  the  store  if  *  will  not  go. 

3.  Is  *  *  whom  *  wish  to  see  t 

4.  *  said  that  *  and  *  might  stay. 

5.  *  am  sure  *  could  not  have  been  *  who  spoke  to  *. 

6.  The  assistant  buyer  has  left  word  for  *  and  *  to  call  at  * 
office  at  five  o'clock. 

7.  *  said  that  *  knew  *  was  *  by  *  voice. 

8.  *  will  call  and  take  *  and  *  visitors  to  see  the  celebration. 

9.  *  are  almost  as  expert  as  *,  but  *  both  have  much  to  learn 
before  *  can  handle  a  typewriter  as  rapidly  as  *  does. 


38  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  51 

In  the  following  sentences  substitute  the  proper  form  of  the 
pronoun  who  wherever  asterisks  occur,  and  give  the  reason  for 
your  choice. 

1.  *  do  you  think  will  be  chosen  ? 

2.  *  hat  is  that  ? 

3.  The  prize  will  go  to  the  person  *  sells  the  most. 

4.  To  *  would  you  give  the  prize  ? 

5.  *  won  the  prize  ? 

6.  Do  you  remember  *  he  chose  ? 

7.  I  do  not  know  *  you  mean. 

8.  I  could  not  see  *  said  it. 

9.  From  *  can  this  telegram  be  ? 

10.  *  do  you  say  brought  the  letter  t 

11.  I  don't  know  *  to  ask  for  the  parcel. 

12.  He  gave  the  purse  to  the  man  *  name  was  written  on 
the  goods. 

13.  They  have  found  the  man  *  they  think  took  the  goods. 

14.  *  do  you  wish  to  see  ? 

EXERCISE  52 

Substitute  the  correct  pronominal  forms  (his,  her,  their)  for 
the  asterisks  in  the  following  sentences  : 

1.  Every  pupil  will  now  pass  in  *  work. 

2.  The  pupils  will  now  pass  in  *  work. 

3.  Every  girl  must  present  a  specimen  of  *  work  in  drawing. 

4.  Each  boy  and  girl  employed  in  the  wrapping  department 
received  an  extra  dollar  in  *  envelope. 

5.  Every  man  and  woman  is  responsible  for  *  own  success 
or  failure. 

EXERCISE  53 

I.  Compare  the  following  sentence  with  4  in  Exercise  52 
and  choose  the  one  that  you  prefer : 

All  boys  and  girls  in  the  wrapping  department  received  an 
extra  dollar  in  their  envelopes. 


APPLICATION  OF  GRAMMAR  39 

2.  Rewrite  5  in  Exercise  52  in  the  same  way  as  4  has  been 
rewritten  in  (i). 

EXERCISE  54 

Copy  and  bring  to  class  the  ten  best  sentences  you  can  find 
in  your  reading  to  illustrate  the  principle  that  a  pronoun  agrees 
with  its  antecedent  in  number. 


ADJECTIVES  AND  ADVERBS 
EXERCISE  55 

Be  prepared  to  give  the  other  two  forms  of  any  one  of  the 
following  words  : 

Comparative 


Positive 

bad  (badly,  ill) 

good 

late 

litde 

much,  many 

old 

well 


worse 

better 

later,  latter 

less,  lesser 

more 
J  older 
[  elder 

better 


Superlative 

worst 

best 

latest,  last 

least 

most 
r  oldest 
\  eldest 

best 


EXERCISE  bQ  — Oral  or  Written 

Form  the  comparative  and  superlative  of  the  following 
adjectives  and  adverbs.  Use  ten  of  these  forms  in  sentences. 
Remember  that  the  comparative  degree  is  used  when  two  sub- 
jects are  compared  and  the  superlative  when  more  than  twc 
are  compared. 


foolish 

stupid 

good 

fast 

greedily 

scared 

funny 

apt 

stupidly 

boldly 

angry 

real 

common 

strong 

warm 

bold 

awkward 

healthy 

littie 

dry 

prominent 

worthy 

hard 

fine 

40  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  57  —  Oral  or  Written 

Point  out  each  adjective  and  adverb  in  the  following  sen- 
tences, indicate  its  degree  of  comparison,  and  write  its  positive- 
its  comparative,  and  its  superlative : 

1.  As  he  was  much  larger  than  I,  he  could  run  much  faster. 

2.  The  shrewdest  business  men  are  not  the  most  reckless. 

3.  Stocks  are  low  at  present,  but  they  rise  quickly  after  the 
Western  harvest  is  over. 

4.  He  is  six  feet  tall  and  in  every  way  large  for  his  years. 

5.  The  well  is  much  deeper  than  I  thought  it  was. 

6.  The  hurdy-gurdy  man  played  a  lively  air,  and  the  merry 
little  children  could  remain  quiet  no  longer,  but  gathering  in 
noisy  groups  on  the  green,  they  danced  gleefully  the  old  peas- 
ant dances  and  made  more  lovely,  because  more  human,  the 
enchanting  autumn  afternoon. 

7.  I  am  very  sorry  that  an  earlier  engagement  will  make  it 
impossible  for  us  to  arrive  sooner. 

8.  A  little  learning  is  a  dangerous  thing. 

9.  The  country  became  rougher ;  the  people,  more  savage ; 
and  the  water  and  food,  the  worst  we  had  yet  experienced. 

EXERCISE  58 

Substitute  adjectives  or  adverbs  for  the  asterisks  and  be 
ready  to  compare  the  words  you  have  inserted. 

1.  He  talked  *  loud  and  *  louder  than  was  necessary. 

2.  It  is  not  so  *  as  it  was  yesterday.  The  weather  fore- 
casts say  *  rain  to-morrow. 

3.  He  is  the  *  boy  in  his  class. 

4.  Which  is  *,  a  pound  of  feathers  or  a  pound  of  gold  ? 

5.  New  York  is  the  *  city  in  the  United  States. 

6.  Who  is  the  *,  you  or  your  brother  ? 

7.  February  is  the  *  month  of  the  year;  July  is  one  day  * 
than  June. 

8.  Of  all  metals  iron  is  the  most  *. 

9.  I  sat  *  the  door  than  he  did,  and  was,  of  course,  *  from 
the  speaker. 

10.  The  Volga  is  the  *  river  in  Europe,  but  the  Mississippi 
is  much  *  than  the  Volga. 


APPLICATION  OF  GRAMMAR  41 

VERBS 

EXERCISE  59 

Rewrite  the  following  sentences,  using  only  active  forms  of 
the  verbs.  Add  any  expressions  necessary  to  make  your  sen- 
tences clear.  Point  out  the  rewritten  sentences  which  you 
consider  an  improvement  on  the  originals. 

1.  Your  letter  was  received  yesterday. 

2.  I  had  been  warned  that  the  excuse  would  not  be  accepted 
by  Mr.  Jordan. 

3.  The  market  has  been  weakened  by  the  discouraging  crop 
reports  that  have  been  sent  in  from  the  West. 

4.  The  building  was  insured  for  less  than  one  half  its  value. 

5.  With  the  proofs  are  inclosed  two  leaflets  explaining  the 
routine  of  our  Composing  Room  and  Proofreading  Department. 

6.  Our  information  is  carefully  compiled  and  is  secured  from 
the  most  reliable  sources. 

7.  The  best  way  for  complete  information  to  be  secured 
about  any  stock  is  to  write  for  our  special  report. 

EXERCISE  60 

1 .  Write  five  sentences,  using  active  forms  of  five  or  more  of 
the  verbs  on  pages  43-45. 

2.  Write  five  sentences,  using  passive  forms  of  five  or  more 
other  verbs  in  the  same  list 

3.  Select  from  the  same  list  five  verbs  that  may  be  used 
either  in  the  active  or  in  the  passive  voice.  Write  sentences  to 
show  that  the  verbs  selected  may  be  used  in  either  voice. 

EXERCISE  61 
From  any  of  your  textbooks  select  a  page  and  make  a  list  of 
all  the  verb-phrases  you  find.   Why  are  these  called  verb-phrases  > 

INFINITIVES  AND   PARTICIPLES 
EXERCISE  62 
Substitute    infinitives    for   the    asterisks    in   the    following 
sentences : 


42  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

1.  It  would  be  easy  *  the  difficulty. 

2.  *  the  difficulty  would  be  easy. 

3.  He  requested  me  *  next  day. 

4.  Tell  him  *  you  the  receipt. 

5.  He  wishes  *  now. 

6.  This  is  the  way  *  it. 

7.  I  wish  you  *  in  the  next  room. 

8.  He  was  trying  *  him  an  explanation. 

EXERCISE  63 

Make  a  list  of  the  infinitives  in  the  letter  on  page  1 1 2  and 
tell  whether  each  is  present  or  present  perfect. 

EXERCISE  64  —  Oral  or  Written 

Tell  the  part  of  speech  of  each  of  the  italicized  words  in  the 
following  sentences : 

1.  I  see  them  writiiig. 

2.  I  see  their  writing. 

3.  I  like  to  see  him  walkifig. 

4.  I  like  to  see  his  walking. 

5.  We  told  them  about  Julia's  mailing  the  letter. 

6.  We  saw  John  mailing  a  letter. 

EXERCISE  65 -Ora/ 

Pick  out  the  verbal  nouns  and  the  verbal  adjectives  in  the 
following  sentences  and  explain  your  choice  in  each  case : 

1.  He  made  his  money  by  fishing. 

2.  The    fishing   industry    on    the    Columbia  River   is   very 
important. 

3.  He  recommended  trading  with  the  local  dealers. 

4.  When  trading  in  the  city  he  always  compared  the  goods 
offered  by  different  stores. 

5.  Selecting  the  least-exposed   portion   of  the  beach,   they 
pushed  off. 

6.  Having  sought  in  vain  the  kind  of  house  he  wanted,  he 
finally  began  building  to  suit  himself. 

7.  Reading   in  the   paper  an  account  of   his  friend's   fine 
playing,  he  wrote  at  once,  congratulating  him. 


APPLICATION  OF  GRAMMAR 


43 


EXERCISE  66 

Bring  to  class  clippings  which  contain  a  number  of  verbal 
adjectives  and  verbal  nouns.    Be  ready  to  explain  them. 

EXERCISE  67 

Make  lists  of  words  ending  in  ing  in  selections  on  pages 
1 1 6-1 17 ;  give  to  each  word  listed  its  correct  grammatical  name. 

EXERCISE  68 

Point  out  the  errors  in  the  following  sentences  and  rewrite 
the  sentences  correctly  : 

1.  Replying  to  your  telegram  of  June  i,  the  carload  of  flour 
was  shipped  the  same  day. 

2.  Rushing  breathless  to  the  station,  the  train  pulled  out 
before  our  disappointed  party. 

3.  Having  told  him  why  I  had  called,  he  began  to  show 
reviving  interest. 

4.  Granting  what  you  say  to  be  true,  his  letter  does  not 
excuse  his  delay. 

5.  Admitting  what  you  said,  the  argument  does  not  appeal 
strongly  to  me. 

PRINCIPAL  PARTS  OF  VERBS 


EXERCISE  69 

3e  prepared 

to  write  from  dictation  the  following  verbs 

Present 

Past 

Past  Participle 

awake 

awoke,  awaked 

awaked,  awoke 

be 

was 

been 

bear 

bore 

borne 

beat 

beat 

beaten 

begin 

began 

begun 

bid  (at  an  auction) 

bid 

bid 

bid  (command) 

bade 

bidden 

blow 

blew 

blown 

break 

broke 

broken 

bring 

brought 

brought 

44 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


Present 

Past 

Past  Participle 

buy 

bought 

bought 

choose 

chose 

chosen 

come 

came 

come 

cost 

cost 

cost 

do 

did 

done 

draw 

drew 

drawn 

drink 

drank 

drunk 

drive 

drove 

driven 

eat 

ate 

eaten 

flee 

fled 

fled 

fly 

flew 

flown 

flow 

flowed 

flowed 

forbid 

forbade 

forbidden 

forget 

forgot 

forgotten 

get 

got 

got 

go 

went 

gone 

lay 

laid 

laid 

lie 

lay 

lain 

lend 

lent 

lent 

loan 

loaned 

loaned 

pay 

paid 

paid 

prove 

proved 

proved 

ride 

rode 

ridden 

ring 

rang 

rung 

rise 

rose 

risen 

raise 

raised 

raised 

run 

ran 

run 

see 

saw 

seen 

sell 

sold 

sold 

shrink 

shrank 

shrunk 

shake 

shook 

shaken 

show 

showed 

showed,  shown 

sit 

sat 

sat 

speak 

spoke 

spoken 

spring 

sprang 

sprung 

steal 

stole 

stolen 

swim 

swam 

swum 

take 

took 

taken 

J^ 


APPLICATION  OF  GRAMMAR 


45 


Present 

Past 

Past  Participle 

tear 

tore 

torn 

think 

thought 

thought 

throw 

threw 

thrown 

weigh 

weighed 

weighed 

write 

wrote 
EXERCISE  70 

written 

Write  the  principal  parts  of  the  verbs  in  the  following  list 
and  state  whether  the  verb  is  regular  or  irregular : 


undertake 

compel 

mean 

burn 

speak 

prove 

come 

talk 

finish 

drink 

shut 

get 

begin 

raise 

dive 

see 

think 

steal 

flow 

fly 

lie  (tell  a  falsehood) 

bring 

nail 

go 

lie  (recline) 

light 

rise 

be 

fly 

flee 

flow 

prove 

EXERCISE  71 -Oral 

In  the  following  sentences,  (i)  name  the  tense  of  each  itali- 
cized verb ;  (2)  change  the  verb  to  some  other  tense,  and  name 
the  tense ;  (3)  give  the  principal  parts  of  the  verb : 

1.  It  degan  to  rain. 

2.  I  f/iin/^  you  are  mistaken. 

3.  Our  team  dea^  the  visitors. 

4.  He  h'd  ten  dollars  on  the  watch. 

5.  The  wind  /las  blown  all  night. 

6.  Birds  y?)/  south  in  autumn. 

7.  He  had  driven  the  nail  into  the  floor. 

8.  I  will  shake  the  rug  myself. 

9.  The  sailor  swam  to  the  boat. 

10.  The  witness  was  proved  unreliable. 

11.  Do  as  you  are  told. 

12.  He  knew  that  I  was  wrong. 


46  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  12 -Oral 

Explain  why  it  is  useful  to  know  the  principal  parts  of  a 
verb.  Illustrate  your  statements  by  showing  that ''  I  have  sung  " 
is  correct  and  that  ''  I  have  sang  "  is  incorrect. 

EXERCISE  73 

Make  lists  of  the  auxiliary  verb  forms,  participial  forms,  and 
infinitive  forms  in  the  selections  given  below. 

Ability  to  operate  a  typewriter  will  increase  the  value  of  any 
office  worker,  but  a  high  degree  of  skill  should  be  attempted  only 
for  those  who  expect  to  become  stenographers  or  typists.  Habits 
of  accuracy,  neatness,  attention  to  details,  and  rapidity  of  motion 
can  be  stimulated  through  typewriting  practice.  No  other  com- 
mercial subject  appeals  so  strongly  to  the  younger  pupils,  and 
through  the  interest  thus  created  the  pupil  may  be  held  in  school 
longer  and  thereby  secure  more  thorough  preparation  for  business. 

Modern  commerce,  in  its  magnitude  and  complexity,  demands 
a  broad  and  thorough  education  of  those  who  aspire  to  positions 
of  responsibility.  In  the  past  the  young  man  entering  business 
could  learn  the  routine  of  his  calling  by  beginning  as  a  clerk  in 
some  office  or  business  house.  Today  he  needs  a  much  broader 
education  than  can  be  obtained  from  the  narrow  specialization 
ordinarily  prevailing  in  office  or  shop.  It  is  not  enough  to  know 
something  of  commercial  methods.  The  principles  which  under- 
lie business  practice  must  be  systematically  and  carefully  studied. 

VERB   SYNTAX 
EXERCISE  74 

1 .  Write  the  first  person  singular,  all  tenses,  indicative  mood, 
active  voice,  of  the  verb  strike,  (Indicative,  active,  present : 
"  I  strike.") 

2.  Write  the  third  person  plural,  all  tenses,  indicative  mood, 
active  and  passive  voices,  of  the  verb  telL  (Indicative, 
active,  present :  "  They  tell  "  ;  indicative,  passive,  present : 
*'  They  are  told.") 


APPLICATION  OF  GRAMMAR 


47 


EXERCISE  75 

1 .  Write  the  active  voice  complete  of  the  verb  write.  (Active, 
indicative,  present :  *'  I  write,  you  write,  he  writes  ;  we  write, 
you  write,  they  write.") 

2.  Write  the  passive  voice  in  the  third  person  singular  of  the 
verb  sell,  using  the  subject  it  (Passive,  present,  third,  singular  : 
''  It  is  sold.") 

EXERCISE  76 

On  a  sheet  of  paper  ruled  as  shown  below  make  a  list  of  the 
finite  verbs  in  the  selection  on  page  13.  Give  the  person, 
number,  tense,  mood,  voice,  and  principal  parts  of  each  verb. 


Verb 

Person 

Number 

Tense 

Mood 

Voice 

Principal  Parts 

will  increase 

third 

singular 

future 

indicative 

active 

increase,  increased, 
increased 

32.  Shall  and  will.  The  verbs  shall  and  will  deserve  par- 
ticular attention,  owing  to  the  common  confusion  of  the  two 
functions  of  each  verb.    Shall  and  will  express 

1.  Tense:  they  form  with  the  infinitive  (without  to)  the 
future  tense  of  any  verb. 

I  shall  go.  He  will  go. 

(Go  is  the  infinitive  without  to^ 

2.  Mood  :  they  sometimes  express  determination,  willingness, 

or  desire, 

I  will  go.  He  shall  go. 


48  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

The  following  are  the  general  rules  for  the  use  of  shall 
and  will\ 

1 .  Independent  clauses  and  simple  sentences.  In  independent 
clauses  and  simple  sentences  '  shall '  in  the  first  person  and '  will ' 
in  the  second  and  third  persons  denote  futurity  ;  '  will '  in  the  first 
person  and  '  shall '  in  the  second  and  third  persons  denote  deter- 
minationf  willingnesSy  or  desire. 

This  rule  may  be  shown  as  follows : 

Simple  Futurity  Determination,  etc. 

Singular  Plural  Singular  Plural 

1.  I  shall  go.         We  shall  go.  i.  I  will  go.  We  will  go. 

2.  You  will  go.      You  will  go.  2.  You  shall  go.      You  shall  go. 

3.  He  will  go.        They  will  go.  3.  He  shall  go.        They  shall  go. 

2 .  Dependent  clauses.  When  a  second  speaker  reports  the  words 
or  ideas  of  a  first  speaker ^  the  second  speaker  uses  shall  if  the 
first  speaker  used  shall,  will  if  the  first  speaker  used  will.  In 
other  wordSy  where  direct  discourse  is  changed  to  indirect  discourse 
shall  and  will  remain  unchanged. 

First  Speaker      I  s/iall  go.    (Direct  discourse.) 

Second  Speaker  He  says  he  skall  go.    (Indirect  discourse.) 

First  Speaker      I  will  not  go. 

Second  Speaker  I  believe  he  will  not  go. 

3.  Questions,  (a)  In  the  first  person  shall  is  usually  the  correct 
word  in  asking  questions. 

S/iall  I  close  the  door  ? 
S/iall  we  ask  her  advice  ? 

(d)  In  the  second  and  third  persons,  use  shall  if  shall  is 
expected  in  the  answer;  use  will  if  will  is  expected. 

Will  you  go  with  us  ?   (I  will.) 

Sliall  you  be  able  to  come  ?    (I  s/iall) 

Will  your  store  close  at  five  o'clock  ?   (It  will,) 


^: 


APPLICATION  OF  GRAMMAR  49 

4.  Should  and  would.  *  Should '  and  <  would  'follow  the  same 
general  rules  as  <  shall »  and  <  will,'  '  should '  corresponding  to 
'  shall '  and  '  would '  ^o  '  will.* 

He  said  he  should  go.    (Future.) 

I  do  not  believe  he  would  go.    (Determination.) 


It  must  be  remembered,  however, "  that  should  \^  sometimes 
of  ought. 

He  should  be  more  careful. 


used  in  the  sense  of  ought. 


EXERCISE  11 -Oral 

Explain  the  meaning  of  the  italicized  words  in  the  following 
sentences  : 

1.  When  the  hunger  and  thirst  of  a  shipwrecked  person 
have  been  satisfied,  he  will  still  be  conscious  of  other  needs. 

2.  I  will  go  with  you. 

3.  The  sun  will  set  at  about  seven  o'clock. 

4.  I  shall  be  ready  at  noon. 

5.  Not   only   will  hot    food   and   drink   warm  the  body, 
but  any  food  will  enable  the  body  to  keep  up  its  heat. 

6.  You  will  be  expected  to  report  at  seven  sharp. 

7.  It  is  necessary  to  a  successful  business  that  its  adver- 
tising shall  be  truthful. 

8.  Fuel,  as  we  shall  see,  is  one  of  the  important  articles 
of  commerce. 

9.  It   is   intended   in   this   school   that  the   student  shall 
utilize  the  knowledge  he  already  has. 

10.  If  a  person  were  investing  money,  he  would  want  to 
know  first  the  character  of  the  person  with  whom  he  is  to  deal. 

11.  I  would  not  do  that  if  I  were  you. 

12.  Do  you  think  he  will  come  ? 

13.  He  thought  James  would  come. 

14.  Will  {shall)  you  apply  for  an  increase  in  salary  ? 

15.  Do  you  think  he  should  ask  for  more  salary  > 

16.  Shall  I  wait  for  you  t 

17.  Will  you  wait  for  me  ? 


so  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

18.  If  you  should  depend  entirely  upon  yourself,  you  would 
have  no  books  unless  you  should  write  them,  no  music  unless 
you  should  compose  it,  no  games  unless  played  alone. 

19.  This  store  shall  stand  for  the  traditions  built  up  through 
half  a  century. 

EXERCISE  78  -  Oral  or  Written 

Substitute  shall  or  will  for  the  asterisks  in  the  following 
sentences  and  be  ready  to  justify  your  choice  : 

1.  John  *  be  there  on  time. 

2.  *  John  be  there  on  time  ? 

3.  I  think  it  *  be  a  fine  day. 

4.  I  think  he  *  be  here  on  time. 

5.  He  says  that  he  *  send  the  money  on  Thursday. 

6.  *  you  get  me  the  red  ink  ? 

7.  They  *  be  late  if  they  don't  hurry. 

8.  *  we  be  late  t 

9.  You  *  bring  the  receipt  book  to  the  office. 

EXERCISE  79  —  Oral  or  Written 

Substitute  should  or  would  for  the  asterisks  in  the  following 
sentences  and  be  ready  to  justify  your  choice  : 

1.  If  you   *  fail   to  keep  the  appointment,  it  *  seriously 
inconvenience  me. 

2.  He  thought  it  *  be  a  fine  day. 

3.  They  *  like  to  have  your  answer  now. 

4.  You  *  remember  the  old  saying : 

He  who  by  the  plow  *  thrive 
Himself  must  either  hold  or  drive. 

5.  Louis  *  make  a  good  salesman,  but  I  doubt  if  he  *  care 
to  accept  your  proposal. 

6.  I  feel  it  *  be  wasting  time  to  carry  the  discussion 
further. 

7.  What  *  you  do  in  a  similar  situation  ? 

8.  I  know  you  *  do  better  if  you  *  go  yourself. 

9.  *  I  do  it  myself  ? 

10.  Finally,  we  decided  we  *  walk  the  whole  distance. 


APPLICATION  OF  GRAMMAR  5 1 

EXERCISE  80 

Write  six  sentences  illustrating  uses  of  shall,  will,  should, 
and  would, 

EXERCISE  81 

Copy  from  one  of  your  textbooks  six  sentences  illustrating 
the  uses  of  shall  and  will.  Report  which  uses  seem  the  easier 
to  find. 

EXERCISE  82 -Ora/ 

Comment  on  the  following  sentences  and  correct  them : 

1.  I  will  be  pleased  to  have  you  call. 

2.  I  will  be  pleased  to  receive  your  letter. 

3.  We  will  be  sorry  to  hear  that  you  cannot  come. 

4.  We  will  enjoy  having  you  on  our  sales  force. 

5.  I  will  tremble  when  I  enter  his  office. 

6.  I  would  prefer  to  remain  in  my  present  position. 

7.  I  would  be  glad  to  have  you  come. 

8.  We  would  say  in  reply  to  your  letter  that  the  goods  were 
forwarded  on  the  twenty-first. 

9.  I  would  like  to  have  you  call  at  my  office. 


CHAPTER  III 

PUNCTUATION 

The  tendency  today  is  to  use  few  punctuation  marks.  "  Too 
little  rather  than  too  much "  seems  to  be  a  popular  motto 
governing  punctuation,  especially  in  business  writing.  This  is 
particularly  true  of  the  comma,  a  mark  liable  to  be  overworked 
by  the  inexperienced  writer. 

33.  Value  of  punctuation.  The  rules  of  punctuation  are  not 
arbitrary,  but  are  based  on  common  sense.  This  permits  a 
certain  variety  in  the  choice  and  use  of  some  punctuation 
marks,  but  nobody  is  for  this  reason  to  suppose  that  he  may 
be  a  law  unto  himself  in  punctuation.  In  general,  the  art  of 
punctuation  is  designed  to  make  reading  matter  clearer  and 
easier  to  read.  Without  it  almost  any  page  of  written  matter 
is  difficult  to  understand  and  is  taxing  to  the  eye,  as  the  follow- 
ing selections  will  show : 

Rotterdam  is  not  a  beautiful  city  nor  is  it  thoroughly  Dutch 
for  it  carries  on  commerce  with  too  many  countries  of  the 
world  and  is  visited  daily  by  too  many  foreigners  for  it  to 
keep  its  Dutch  characteristics  if  you  do  not  like  sailors  and 
sailor  ways  do  not  go  to  Rotterdam  for  they  are  everywhere 
and  hundreds  of  ships  lie  at  the  docks  are  towed  or  poled 
slowly  through  the  dark  water  of  the  canals  between  the 
rows  of  boats  on  either  side  or  sail  proudly  out  of  the  harbor 
toward  distant  lands  those  bound  for  the  United  States  carry 
great  quantities  of  hides  and  skins  spices  from  the  Dutch 
colonies  of  the  Far  East  cheese  rice  and  many  other  things 
among  the  important  exports  are  bulbs  seeds  roots  and  plants 
for  the  Netherlands  is  famous  for  these  products.  —  Allen, 
"  The  New  Europe  " 

52 


PUNCTUATION  53 

Where  adopted  suffrage  equality  has  been  successful. 

I  will  accept  your  excuse  and  your  grade  will  probably  be 
changed  by  the  instructor. 

The  check  which  you  regret  has  not  yet  come  through  will 
be  sufficient  receipt. 

This  morning  we  saw  our  friend  Brown  hurrying  along  the 
street  brows  knit  and  mind  apparently  full  of  profit  and  loss 
two  boys  were  passing  a  baseball  one  missed  a  catch  and  the 
ball  rolled  toward  Brown  we  saw  him  go  down  for  the  ball  almost 
as  neatly  as  Hollocher  or  Groh  would  have  gone  down  we  saw 
him  rise  and  throw  the  ball  back  to  the  boy  just  for  that  second 
Brown  thought  he  was  playing  ball  again  we  do  not  flatter  him 
by  saying  that  both  the  stop  and  the  throw  were  as  good  as  any 
he  ever  made  and  then  we  saw  him  smile  and  walk  to  his  office 
with  his  head  up  his  whole  day  had  been  brightened  what  we 
all  need  is  more  play 

COMMON   PUNCTUATION   MARKS 

The  following  punctuation  marks  are  in  common  use : 
period  (.),  comma  (,),  semicolon  (;),  colon  (:),  dash  ( — ),  inter- 
rogation point  (.?),  exclamation  point  (!),  quotation  marks  ("  "). 

Note.  The  hyphen,  the  apostrophe,  and  italics,  although  not  really 
marks  of  punctuation,  may  be  conveniently  treated  in  this  chapter. 

In  the  following  arrangement  the  period  shows  the  greatest 
degree  of  separation,  the  comma  the  least :  period,  colon,  semi- 
colon, comma. 

The  interrogation  point  and  the  exclamation  point,  like  the 
period,  may  complete  a  sentence,  and,  like  the  comma,  they 
may  occur  between  words  in  a  sentence. 

34.  The  period.    The  period  (.)  is  used  as  follows : 

1 .  At  the  close  of  a  sentence. 

'  The  mill  is  open. 

2.  After  almost  every  abbreviation. 

Mr.,  R.I.,  acct. 


54  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

35.  The  comma.  The  comma  (,)  is  used  as  follows  : 

1 .  To  separate  a  series  of  words,  phrases,  or  clauses. 

I  sold  a  bat,  a  ball,  and  a  baseball  glove. 

Modern  business  men  have  adopted  many  inventions  for 
saving  time,  reducing  labor,  and  lessening  expense. 

An  account  is  kept  with  the  bank,  deposits  are  made,  and 
checks  are  drawn. 

2.  To  separate  words  or  phrases  that  express  contrast  which 
is  especially  emphatic. 

Pay  the  expressage  on  the  first  order,  but  not  on  the  second. 

3.  To  set  apart  parenthetical  expressions  when  the  degree 
of  separation  is  too  slight  to  warrant  the  use  of  parentheses  or 
dashes.  The  following  expressions  may  be  classed  as  paren- 
thetical and  therefore  should  be  set  apart  by  commas : 

a.  Many  adverbial  expressions. 

I  consider  your  letter,  if  I  may  say  so,  entirely  uncalled  for. 
He  says,  however,  that  he  will  allow  you  wholesale  prices 
on  your  next  order. 

b.  The  relative  clause  that  is  descriptive. 

Long,  intricate  sentences,  which  usually  require  complex 
punctuation  to  make  them  plain,  should  not  be  used. 

But  if  the  relative  clause  is  restrictive,  that  is,  plainly  restricts 
the  main  subject  to  some  particular  class  or  thing,  no  comma 
is  used. 

Sentences  that  require  a  complex  system  of  punctuation 
should  be  avoided. 

c.  Words  in  apposition. 

We  refer  you  for  further  information  to  our  representative, 
Mr.  Henry  L.  Pierce,  who  will  call  on  you  this  week. 

4.  To  set  apart  informal  or  short  direct  quotations. 

The  vital  question  will  be,  "  Did  you  make  the  sale  ? " 
I  will  quote  a  maxim  that  fits  this  case,  *'  Easy  buyers  make 
hard  collections." 


PUNCTUATION  55 

5.  Sometimes  to  separate  the  parts  of  a  compound  sentence 
when  thes§  parts  are  simple  and  closely  connected  in  meaning. 

A  receipt  need  not  be  taken  when  an  account  is  paid  by 
check,  but  it  may  be  properly  asked  for  if  desired. 

6.  To  take  the  place  of  omitted  words  when  the  pause  at  the 
omission  is  a  marked  one. 

Some  firms  require  detailed  reports ;  others,  nothing. 

7.  To  separate  each  group  of  three  figures  from  the  next 
group  in  a  sum  expressed  in  figures.  (The  figures  denoting 
cents  are  preceded  by  a  period.) 

Note.  For  the  use  of  the  comma  in  the  heading,  address,  and  compli- 
mentary close  of  a  letter,  see  models,  pages  176,  177. 

EXERCISE  1 

Copy  and  insert  commas  and  periods  in  the  following  selection. 
Be  prepared  to  give  the  rules  for  the  marks  which  you  use. 

The  United  States  mines  over  half  of  the  world's  yearly  output 
of  copper  Michigan  Montana  and  Arizona  are  the  chief  states  in 
which  it  occurs  on  the  Keweenaw  peninsula  there  is  a  copper 
district  seventy  miles  long  and  from  three  to  six  miles  wide 
the  Indians  have  taken  copper  from  this  region  for  many  ages 
and  their  mines  sometimes  with  great  lumps  of  copper  in  them 
which  the  Indians  have  been  unable  to  lift  out  were  discovered 
by  the  whites  when  they  came  in  Montana  there  is  a  district 
called  Butte  which  is  the  greatest  copper  camp  in  the  world 
the  copper  mined  in  Arizona  does  not  come  from  one  particular 
place  but  from  many  different  localities  within  the  state. 

Gold  occurs  all  over  the  world  but  chiefly  in  volcanic  dis- 
tricts it  may  be  found  embedded  in  rock  sometimes  in  nuggets 
and  again  in  small  particles  as  the  rock  wears  away  the  gold 
is  washed  into  some  neighboring  stream  where  it  soon  becomes 
mixed  with  sand  and  gravel  by  shaking  the  sand  about  in 
pans  it  is  possible  to  separate  the  particles  of  gold  for  being 
heavier  than  the  rest  they  sink  to  the  bottom  and  may  then 
be  separated  out.  —  Keller  and  Bishop,  "  Commercial  and 
Industrial  Geography" 


S6  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

36.  The  semicolon.    The  semicolon  (;)  is  used  as  follows  : 

1.  To  separate  the  members  of  a  long  compound  sentence 
when  these  members  are  complex  or  contain  in  themselves  com- 
mas, when  commas  are  not  sufficient  to  make  the  meaning  clear. 

Close  punctuation,  characterized  especially  by  the  use  of 
commas,  was  common  in  English  in  the  eighteenth  century 
and  is  the  rule  in  present  French  usages ;  but  open  punctua- 
tion, characterized  by  the  avoidance  of  all  pointing  not  clearly 
required  by  the  construction,  now  prevails  in  the  best  English 
usage. 

2.  To  separate  short  independent  sentences  closely  connected 
in  meaning. 

One  of  these  great  transcontinental  roads  is  designed  to  trav- 
erse the  Dominion  of  Canada;  the  other  is  planned  to  cross 
the  United  States. 

Note.  When  the  sentences  are  short,  simple  in  construction,  and  so 
closely  connected  in  meaning  that  the  semicolon  seems  to  give  too  great  a 
degree  of  separation,  the  comma  may  be  used. 

3.  Before  a  series  of  words  in  apposition  with  a  general  term 
introduced  by  as,  viz,,  i.e.,  or  similar  expressions. 

We  handle  four  grades  of  flour;  viz.  King  Philip,  Great 
Western,  Everybody's,  and  Baker's  Best. 


EXERCISE  2 

Copy  and  insert  semicolons  and  commas  in  the  following : 

Not  only  animals  are  adapted  to  the  regions  in  which  they 
live  plants  show  the  same  adjustment.  The  plant  which  grows 
in  the  desert  is  able  to  exist  on  a  small  quantity  of  moisture 
its  stalk  and  leaves  are  glazed  and  shiny  which  means  that 
they  are  so  constructed  as  to  lose  by  evaporation  very  little  of 
the  moisture  which  they  contain. 

We  have  a  saying  that  "  a  Jack  of  all  trades  is  master  of 
none  "  that  is  he  can  do  a  great  many  things  fairly  well  but 
nothing  extremely  well. 


PUNCTUATION  57 

The  wool-raising  regions  of  this  country  are  in  the  first  place 
unfavorable  for  manufactures  and  secondly  they  are  unable  to 
furnish  us  with  all  the  wool  we  need. 

The  first  overshoes  imported  into  this  country  were  made  of 
a  single  piece  of  rubber  today  a  rubber  shoe  has  seven  or  eight 
different  parts  and  a  rubber  boot  over  twenty. 

37.  The  colon.    The  colon  (:)  is  used  as  follows  : 

1.  Before  a  formal  enumeration,  which  is  often  introduced 
by  some  such  expression  as  this,  these,  or  as  follows. 

Our  position  in  regard  to  the  present  value  of  your  plant  is 
based  on  some  such  argument  as  this :  depreciation  applies  to 
all  forms  of  personal  property,  such  as  buildings,  machinery, 
furniture,  and  fixtures  of  all  kinds. 

2.  Before  a  direct  quotation  of  a  formal  nature. 

Huffcut  says  on  this  very  point :  ^'  An  infant  is  a  person 
under  the  age  of  twenty-one.  In  many  states  women  become 
of  age  at  eighteen  or  even  younger  if  married." 

*^  We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self-evident :  That  all  men  are 
created  equal;  that  they  are  endowed  by-  their  Creator  with 
certain  inalienable  rights;  that  among  these  are  life,  liberty, 
and  the  pursuit  of  happiness." 

3.  To  separate  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  an  explanatory 
clause  that  is  not  introduced  by  a  conjunction.  (Such  a  use  of 
the  colon  indicates  a  wide  degree  of  separation  -  between  what 
precedes  and  what  follows  it.) 

We  ask  you  to  visit  our  sample  rooms  and  examine  our  goods 
for  yourself :  investigation  does  not  weaken  a  good  cause. 

4.  Between  the  hour  and  minutes  when  time  is  expressed  in 
numbers.    (The  period  also  may  be  used.) 

12  130  P.M.  7  :  45  ^•^•• 

Note.  The  colon  is  seldom  used  in  business  writing  to  separate  the 
parts  of  a  sentence.  The  business  sentence  should  be  simple,  and  the  use 
of  the  colon  implies  complicated  structure  peculiarly  unfitted  for  business 
writing.  There  is  also  a  marked  tendency  today  to  use  a  semicolon  where 
a  colon  was  formerly  used.  Thus,  in  the  sentence  illustrating  the  third 
rule  for  the  colon,  a  semicolon  may  take  the  place  of  the  colon. 


58  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  3 

Copy  and  insert  semicolons  and  colons  in  the  following : 

The  salaries  of  the  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  are  as 
follows  first  and  second  districts,  $17,500  remaining  districts, 
$7200  but  nonresident  justices  sitting  in  the  appellate  divisions  of 
the  first  and  second  departments  receive  the  same  compensation 
as  the  justices  in  those  departments. 

Copy  from  the  text  of  this  book  three  selections  that  illus- 
trate uses  of  the  colon.  Omit  all  punctuation  marks  and  pass 
your  paper  to  some  other  student,  who  will  punctuate  and  return 
it  to  you  for  correction. 

Write  a  sentence  in  which  you  mention  all  the  subjects  you 
are  studying.  See  if  you  can  make  a  colon  an  appropriate  part 
of  your  punctuation. 

Quote  in  writing  a  good  business  maxim.    Use  a  colon. 

38.  The  interrogation  point.  The  interrogation  point  (?)  is 
used  as  follows  : 

1 .  After  a  question  or  after  each  of  a  series  of  questions. 

Will  you  accept  our  offer  ? 

What  is  your  best  quotation  on  flour?  on  salt  in  bulk?  on 
corn  meal  for  fall  delivery  ? 

2.  To  express  doubt  as  to  the  accuracy  of  a  statement. 
His  address  is  52  (?)  Quentin  Avenue. 

39.  The  exclamation  point.  The  exclamation  point  (!)  is 
used  as  follows  : 

1.  After  an  expression  of  strong  emotion. 

What  delightful  news ! 

2.  To  denote  sarcasm. 

Of  course  your  argument  is  sound !  However,  we  are  so 
unreasonable  as  not  to  admit  it. 


PUNCTUATION  59 

EXERCISE  4 

Copy  and  punctuate  the  following : 

1.  May  I  have  some  paper 

2.  I  should  like  to  have  some  paper 

3.  Please  answer  the  following  questions    Are  your  prices 
lower  than  his    Are  your  goods  better 

4.  That  is  just  what  I  want 

5.  Do  you  not  know  that  bills  should  be  receipted 

40.  Quotation  marks.  Quotation  marks  (''  ")  are  used  as 
follows  : 

1.  Before  and  after  every  direct  quotation. 

Speaking  of  punctuation,  Genung  says, ''  There  are  two  marks 
or  indications  of  completed  structure :  the  capital  and  the  period." 

2.  To  inclose  the  titles  of  books. 

HilFs  great  work  is  *'  The  Foundations  of  Rhetoric." 

Note  i  .  There  is  a  growing  tendency  to  omit  quotation  marks  before 
and  after  book  titles,  particularly  where  they  are  not  an  aid  to  clearness : 
I  am  sending  you  a  copy  of  Phelps's  World  War. 

Note  2.  When  a  quotation  is  included  within  another  quotation,  the 
former  is  inclosed  by  single  quotation  marks.  A  quotation  placed  within 
the  second  quotation  is  inclosed  in  double  quotation  marks,  and  so  on. 

He  wants  us  to  answer  the  following  question, "  What  is  meant  by 
*  Bulls '  and  '  Bears '  ? " 

41.  The  dash.    The  dash  ( — )  is  used  as  follows: 

1.  To  indicate  a  sudden  change  in  thought  or  construction. 
As  for  the  rest  —  well,  you  must  use  your  own  judgment. 

2.  To  mark  a  degree  of  separation  greater  than  that  indicated 
by  the  comma  and  less  than  that  by  parentheses. 

42.  Parentheses.  Parentheses  ( )  are  used  to  inclose  explana- 
tory matter  that  may  be  omitted  without  changing  the  gram- 
matical structure  of  the  sentence. 

Sir  Isaac  Pitman  (1813-^1897)  was  knighted  for  his  great 
services  to  stenography. 


6o  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

43.  Brackets.    Brackets   []   are  used  to  inclose  matter  in- 
serted by  some  person  other  than  the  author. 

"  He  [Pitman]  was  greatly  interested  in  the  subject  of  re- 
formed spelling." 

44.  The  apostrophe.    The  apostrophe  (')  is  used  as  follows  : 

1.  As  a  sign  of  the  possessive  case. 

The  ladfs  glove  The  ladies^  gloves 

2.  To  indicate  the  plural  of  letters,  figures,  and  signs. 

Make  your  8's  plainer  and  dot  your  i's. 

3.  To  mark  the  omission  of  a  letter. 

don't  (do  not)  doesn't  (does  not) 

o'clock  (of  the  clock) 

EXERCISE  5 
Copy  and  punctuate  the  following : 

1.  The  pamphlet  issued  by  the  postmaster  general  says  it 
is  unlawful  to  send  an  ordinary  letter  by  express  or  otherwise 
outside  of  the  mail. 

2.  Crabbes  Synonyms  is  a  valuable  book  for  the  study  of 
words. 

3.  That  country  says  Ruskin  is  the  richest  and  noblest  which 
nourishes  the  greatest  number  of  noble  and  happy  human  beings. 

4.  A  Peerless  chimney  is  easily  cleaned  but  not  easily  broken. 

5.  One  politician  when  taken  to  task  for  not  working  in  his 
office  cynically  replied    Work  why  I  worked  to  get  here. 

6.  We  are  entirely  satisfied  but  you  knew  that  when  you 
received  our  last  order. 

7.  These  cities  New  York  Chicago  Boston  and  Philadelphia 
are  among  the  worlds  great  business  centers. 

8.  Walter  or  Walt  Whitman  18 19-1892  was  born  at  Hunt- 
ington Long  Island. 

9.  He  Muzzey  declares  that  the  discovery  of  America  was 
an  accident. 


PUNCTUATION  6 1 

10.  The  presidents  message  was  received  with  favor  at  least 
no  one  objected  to  it. 

11.  The  superintendents  office  the  door  of  which  we  just 
passed  is  too  easy  of  access  it  should  be  on  the  top  floor. 

12.  You  cant  improve  your  handwriting  unless  you  take 
more  care.  If  you  persist  in  making  your  ms  and  ns  the  same 
and  OS  like  as  you  cannot  expect  to  pas.s  in  penmanship. 

13.  Would  you  learn  of  a  new  and  safe  investment  then  fill 
out  the  inclosed  card  and  mail  it  to  us  at  once. 

EXERCISE  6 

Copy  and  punctuate  the  following  selection : 

I  sat  in  the  New  York  office  of  the  largest  company  in 
America  that  makes  a  business  of  buying  and  recovering  scrap- 
metal  the  telephone  rang  some  one  at  the  other  end  offered 
carloads  of  old  brass 

Make  it  a  quarter  of  a  cent  less  and  111  take  it  said  the  man 
at  my  end 

Apparently  the  man  at  the  other  end  did  make  it  a  quarter  of 
a  cent  less  the  receiver  was  hung  up  with  evident  satisfaction 

How  much  did  that  transaction  involve  I  asked 

About  fifteen  thousand  dollars 

When  do  you  pay  him  on  delivery  I  suppose 

He  will  get  ninety  per  cent  of  his  money  now  the  rest  when 
delivery  is  made 

But  why  do  you  pay  him  before  he  delivers  anything 

Its  the  custom  of  the  trade  the  chances  are  that  he  hasnt  a 
pound  of  the  metal  that  he  sold  me  he  has  merely  an  option  on  a 
lot  of  it  if  we  didnt  finance  the  transaction  the  game  would  be 
so  much  the  harder  to  play  there  certainly  would  not  be  the  same 
incentive  for  the  small  man  to  ransack  the  country  for  wastes 

But  suppose  he  cashes  your  check  and  decamps 

He  wont 

Why  wont  he 

Because  in  the  fifty-two  years  during  which  we  have  been 
dealers  on  a  large  scale  our  losses  through  dishonesty  have 
been  negligible  what  is  more  we  never  see  the  scrap  that  we 
buy  until  it  arrives  at  one  of  our  yards  or  warehouses 


62  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

By  the  powers  here  is  business  that  is  considered  so  far 
beneath  the  dignity  of  Americans  that  few  of  them  engage  in  it 
and  then  only  in  the  more  polite  scrap-iron  branches  of  it  and 
yet  over  all  its  fumes  its  rust  its  cough-breeding  dust  hangs  the 
mantle  of  honesty 

45.  Capitalization.    Begin  with  a  capital  letter  the  following  : 

1 .  The  first  word  of  every  sentence,  of  every  line  of  poetry, 
of  every  formal  resolution ;  as. 

Resolved :  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  meeting,  etc. 

2.  Proper  names  in  general,  including  the  names  of  the 
months  and  days  of  the  week. 

Note  i  .  The  names  of  the  seasons  are  not  begun  with  capitals.  Such 
words  as  east^  west^  northwest^  etc.  are  capitalized  when  they  are  used  as 
the  names  of  certain  sections  or  countries,  but  not  when  they  indicate 
merely  direction. 

The  West  is  a  great  country.  The  building  faces  the  west. 

Note  2.  When  the  title  of  a  book  contains  more  than  one  word,  only 
the  important  words  are  capitalized. 

Smith's  "  Business  English  and  Correspondence  " 
Dickens's  "  The  Cricket  on  the  Hearth  " 

3.  Most  adjectives  derived  from  proper  nouns. 

The  latest  Parisian  styles.      A  good  piece  of  Dresden  china. 

4.  All  titles  of  respect,  honor,  or  office ;  such  words  as 
mayor,  president,  and  chairman  when  used  as  a  substitute  for 
a  proper  name  or  when  preceding  a  name. 

I  have  just  sent  a  letter  to  The  Honorable  John  S.  Norris. 

It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  introduce  the  speaker  for  the 
evening,  President  John  W.  Krantz,  of  the  firm  of  Wilson  and 
MacCormack. 

5.  The  pronoun  /and  the  interjection  O, 

Note.  Common  nouns  and  adjectives  often  begin  with  a  capital  letter 
when  they  are  the  important  words  of  definitions. 


PUNCTUATION  63 

EXERCISE  7 
Copy  and  punctuate  the  selections  on  pages  52,  53. 

46.  Italics.  To  indicate  italics  in  written  or  typewritten 
manuscript,  place  a  straight  line  below  each  word  that  is  to  be 
italicized.  The  following  expressions  are  commonly  italicized 
in  the  body  of  a  paragraph  : 

1.  The  title  of  a  book.  Be  sure  to  italicize  the  exact  title. 
If  it  includes  an  article  {a,  an,  or  the),  see  that  the  article  is 
italicized. 

Scott's  Monastery  The  Arabian  Nights'*  Entertainments 

Note.  On  page  59  it  has  been  said  that  titles  of  books  may  be  inclosed 
in  quotation  marks.  Either  italics  or  quotation  marks  may  be  used,  but  not 
both.  On  some  occasions  both  may  be  omitted,  however ;  see  note  i ,  sect.  40. 

2.  Names  of  ships. 

He  booked  a  passage  on  the  Mauretania. 

3.  Titles  of  newspapers  and  periodicals. 

The  Sun  The  New  York  Herald 

Note.  Do  not  italicize  the  article  the  or  the  name  of  a  city  unless  it  is 
a  part  of  the  title. 

The  New  York  Evening  Post  The  San  Francisco  Examiner 

4.  Any  word  that  requires  special  emphasis.  In  such  in- 
stances, however,  italics  should  be  used  very  sparingly. 

I  wish  you  to  write  at  once  as  to  what  your  intentions  are. 

EXERCISE  8 

Copy,  punctuate,  capitalize,  and  italicize  the  following : 

1.  Last  summer  I  read  the  new  york  daily  world  every  day 

2.  I  have  studied  algebra  typewriting  english  and  history 

3.  I  see  by  the  Cleveland  republican  that  there  are  many 
Ohio  people  going  abroad  on  the  carmania 

4.  Is  there  anything  to  prevent  your  going  now 


64  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

5.  The  book  I  am  reading  is  kidnapped  by  r  1  Stevenson 

6.  We  request  that  you  examine  the  thread  give  it  a  trial 
and  let  us  know  your  opinion 

7.  The  inclosed  samples  show  the  quality  of  our  stationery 
which  compares  favorably  with  that  made  by  the  same  process 
elsewhere  may  we  have  the  pleasure  of  hearing  from  you 

8.  You  may  reach  me  by  writing  to  the  address  given  above 
or  by  telephoning  to  me  at  macon  183  m  or  stoneham  211  r 
between  8  am  and  2  pm 

9.  Probably  no  gift  of  the  earth  has  been  the  source  of  so 
much  happiness  and  misery  so  great  joy  and  sorrow  as  the 
yellow  metal  gold  because  of  the  power  it  brings  men  have 
fought  and  died  to  obtain  it  with  this  aim  in  view  no  sacrifice 
has  been  too  great  no  hardship  too  terrible  to  endure  the  dis- 
coveries of  gold  in  California  in  australia  and  later  in  alaska  and 
Canada  have  furnished  stories  of  daring  of  endurance  or  perils 
fit  to  rank  with  those  of  sindbad  the  sailor  and  aladdin  or  the 
wonderful  lamp 

10.  The  committee  on  business  education  holds  that  english 
is  the  most  fundamental  universal  and  important  subject  of  the 
commercial  curriculum  it  is  the  one  subject  without  which  all 
the  others  would  be  of  lessened  value  the  committee  therefore 
recommends  that  english  be  required  from  the  first  of  the 
seventh  year  to  the  end  of  the  twelfth  year  and  that  it  be  given 
first  place  in  all  considerations  of  time  and  methods  of  study 


CHAPTER  IV 

SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS 

I.  SPELLING 

47.  Standards  of  spelling.  There  was  a  time  when  there 
were  no  set  rules  for  the  spelHng  of  EngHsh  words.  Chaucer, 
the  first  great  writer  in  EngHsh,  wrote  so  common  a  word  as 
when  both  whan  and  whanne,  and  Caxton,  the  first  EngHsh 
printer,  spelled  book  as  boke  and  booke.  Worcester  calls  attention 
to  the  fact  that  ''  in  the  translation  of  the  New  Testament,  by 
Tyndale,  who  was  distinguished  for  talents  and  learning,  the 
pronoun  it  is  spelled  in  no  less  than  eight  different  ways,  as 
follows  :  it,  itt,  yt,  ytt,  hit,  hitt,  hyt,  hytt ;  and  in  some  cases 
four  or  five  of  these  different  modes  are  to  be  found  in  the 
same  chapter." 

But  today,  while  the  spelling  of  English  words  may  often 
seem  absurd  or  cumbersome,  the  accepted  forms  are  usually 
invariable.  In  this  particular  the  American  business  man  remains 
conservative  and  conforms  to  good  use  as  indicated  by  some 
standard  dictionary. 

Bad  spelling  is  objectionable  to  some  persons  who  will  over- 
look more  serious  faults.  A  misspelled  word  has  caused  many 
a  letter  to  receive  scant  attention.  The  applicant  for  a  position 
who  puts  an  e  in  salary  or  an  extra  c  in  recommefidation  is 
likely  to  be  set  down  as  careless  or  ignorant. 

48.  Correct  spelling.  ""  Spelling,"  says  Alonzo  Reed,  "  is 
chiefly  a  habit  of  the  eye,  and  is  of  practical  use  only  in  writ- 
ing. The  pupil  should  therefore  be  trained  to  see  word  forms 
correctly  and  to  reproduce  them  on  slate  or  paper  till  correct 
writing  becomes  easy  and  natural."    Great  readers  are  usually 

65 


66  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

good  spellers,  as  their  eyes  are  accustomed  to  correct  forms, 
and  a  word  incorrectly  spelled  looks  ''wrong"  to  them. 
To  improve  spelling  one  should 

1.  Consult  the  dictionary  when  in  doubt. 

2.  Divide  a  doubtful  word  into  syllables  after  consulting  the 
dictionary. 

3.  Learn  to  pronounce  every  word  correctly. 

4.  Use  a  troublesome  word  until  its  correct  spelling  is  familiar. 

5.  Keep  a  list  of  all  words  that  prove  troublesome. 

Students  need  not  be  discouraged  by  their  blunders  in  spell- 
ing ;  these  blunders  are  likely  to  occur  in  a  small  number  of 
words  (from  twenty  to  fifty). 

49.  Syllabication.  It  frequently  becomes  necessary  to  divide 
a  word  at  the  end  of  a  line.  This  demands  a  knowledge  of 
syllabication,  or  the  division  of  words  into  syllables.  Here,  as 
in  compounding  words,  we  must  depend  on  observation  and 
consult  the  dictionary  when  in  doubt.  The  following  principles 
may  assist  in  syllabication,  but  they  are  not  exhaustive,  and  the 
student  should  consult  some  standard  dictionary  for  a  more 
detailed  treatment  of  the  subject. 

1 .  Combinations  of  letters  that  are  pronounced  together  must 
not  be  separated. 

Right       in-struc-tion  prin-ciple  ex-cept 

Wrong      instr-uction  pri-nciple  exc-ept 

2.  Words  of  one  syllable  are  not  divided. 

ran  train  store 

3.  A  single  letter  should  not  be  separated  from  the  other 

letters  of  a  word. 

Right        evolve  about 

Wrong      e-volve  a-bout 

4.  When  a  consonant  is  doubled,  one  of  these  consonants 
may  usually  be  separated  from  the  other. 

para/-/el  com-mif-tee 

Note.    But  words  like  dwellifig  are  divided  according  to  (5). 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  67 

5.  Usually  a  prefix  or  a  suffix  may  be  separated  from  the 
other  part  of  the  word. 

/r^-fix  ///-convenient  smg-ing  post-sm^t 

EXERCISE  1 
Select  from  the  following  list  the  words  that  may  be  divided 
into  syllables,  and  write  them,  indicating  the  syllables  by  means 
of  hyphens : 

inconvenient  phonograph  dictionary  business 

tremendous  automobile  suddenly  breadth 

seamstress  ninety-five  excellent  durable 

paymaster  misspell  spelling  sale 


EXERCISE  2 

Select  ten  words  from  the  lists  on  page  73  and  divide  them 
into  syllables. 

EXERCISE  3  -  Oral 

What  is  the  difference  in  meaning  between  spelling,  pronun- 
ciation, and  enunciation  ?  Consult  the  dictionary  if  necessary. 
Give  examples. 

EXERCISE  4  -  Oral 

Divide  the  following  words  into  syllables,  consulting  the  dic- 
tionary if  necessary.    Pronounce  each  word  with  care. 


disappoint 

laboratory 

leakage 

disappear 

mathematics 

negotiable 

acceptance 

library 

promissory 

accommodation 

miscellaneous 

plaintiff 

recommendation 

geography 

casually 

appearance 

groceries 

specially 

article 

chimney 

statute 

assignee 

tremendous 

statue 

assets 

athletics 

telegraphically 

mortgage 

avenue 

regular 

monopoly 

Connecticut 

sarsaparilla 

merchant 

Cincinnati 

.  Marconigram 

68  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  5 

Be  prepared  to  write  the  words  given  below,  and  to  indicate 
where  the  accent  falls  in  each.  If  you  are  in  doubt  as  to  the 
correct  vowel  sounds  in  any  word,  consult  the  dictionary. 


Word 

Correct  Accent 

address 

ad  dress' 

applicable 

ap'pli  ca  ble 

coupon 

equitable 

exquisite 

February 

formidable 

cou'pon 
eq'ui  ta  ble 
ex'qui  site 
Feb'ru  a  ry 
for'mi  da  ble 

genuine 

gratis 

incomparable 

gen'u  ine 

gra'tis 

in  com 'pa  ra  ble 

inquiry 
Messrs. 

in  qui'ry 
Mes'srs.-^ 

misconstrue 

mis  con'strue 

obligatory 
peremptory 
precedence 
primarily 

ob'li  ga  to  ry 
per'emp  to  ry 
pre  ced'ence 
pri'ma  ri  ly 

EXERCISE  6 

Be  prepared  to  read  aloud  the  following  paragraph  : 

Last  February  I  decided  to  write  to  Messrs.  Grant  and 
Miller,  asking  them  for  a  plaster  cast  of  the  exquisite  and 
almost  incomparable  Italian  column  that  my  partner  and  I  had 
seen  in  their  studios.  I  could  not  find  their  address  for  some 
time,  until,  after  making  several  peremptory  inquiries,  I  found 
I  had  written  it  on  a  paper  which  had  been  placed  with  some 
coupons  in  my  desk.  Messrs.  Grant  and  Miller,  replying  to  my 
inquiry,  said  that  they  should  be  glad  to  send  me  later  a  cast 
gratis,  but  that  at  present  they  felt  it  obligatory  to  fill  other 
orders  which  must  have  precedence  over  mine. 

^  M£ssrs.   is    an    abbreviation    of    the    French    word    messieurs^   and 
pronounced  mess'ers. 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  69 

50.  Compound  words.  Good  usage  is  the  final  authority  in 
deciding  what  words  shall  be  compounded.  Many  of  the  best 
authorities  differ  as  to  what  words  shall  be  written  as  compounds, 
but  in  general  it  may  be  said  that  the  use  of  the  hyphen  should 
be  avoided  as  much  as  possible.  When  a  compound  word  is  in 
common  use,  the  hyphen  usually  disappears : 

baseball  football  notebook  textbook 

Certain  classes  of  words,  however,  are  usually  compounded  : 

1.  Two  or  more  words  which  are  usually  distinct  used  as  a 
modifying  adjective.  Note,  however,  that  the  same  words  used 
predicatively  are  not  compounded : 

a  fur-lined  coat  The  coat  is  fur  lined. 

able-bodied  fur-lined  hard-hearted 

post-office  up-to-date  half-round 

business-like  ^  labor-saving  well-read 

2.  Those  in  which  a  hyphen  after  a  prefix  helps  to  make 
clear  the  meaning  of  the  word. 

re-cover  (compare  recover)  re-collect  (compare  recollect) 

3.  Certain  cardinal  and  ordinal  numbers, 
thirty-eight  thirty-eighth  one-hundredth 

The  following  expressions  are  separate  words : 

all  ready  every  one  ^  en  route  by  and  by 

all  right  some  one  2  percent  by  the  way 

any  time  no  one  any  one  ^  one  hundred 

The  following  expressions  are  compounded : 

cross-purpose  by-product  ^^'^Tu 

cross-question  cross-stitch  good-by 

father-in-law  ex-president  half-mast 

self-evident  half-yearly  tide-page 

1  Often  written  as  one  word. 

=!  May  be  spelled  as  one  word,  except  when  used  as  distributive  force. 


70  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

The  following  common  words  are  written  as  one  word : 

bookkeeper  bimonthly  somehow 

misspelling  anywhere  clerkship 

something  northeast  already 

somebody  postscript  midday 

schoolroom  midwinter  anybody 

semiannual  anything  midnight 

EXERCISE  7 

Be  prepared  to  write  from  dictation  the  words  in  the  three 

lists  given  above. 

EXERCISE  8 


With  the  aid  of  the  dictionary  and 

the  rules  given  on  page  69 

select   from  the   following  expressions  those  that  should   be 

compounded : 

dry  as  dust  (book) 

written  statement 

go  as  you  please  (race) 

all  right 

would  be  (salesman) 

some  day 

assembly  hall  (platform) 

every  day 

gas  stove  (burner) 

half  hour 

two  hundred  horse  power  (engine) 

vice  president 

one  and  a  quarter  inch  (bolt) 

man  of  war 

dirt  cheap  (bargain) 

attorney  at  law 

three  legged  (stool) 

ten  cent  (knife) 

ex  governor  (Snow) 

cash  register 

Write  the  following  expressions  i 

is  separate  words,  as  com- 

pound  words,  or  as  one  word : 

school  committee       book  keeper 

some  thing       any  body 

common  sense            mason  work 

some  how         foot  ball 

mid  year  (sale)           head  master 

half  circle         re  write 

in  as  much  as             semi  colon 

play  mate         can  not 

never  the  less             any  where 

rail  road           do  not 

51.  Rules  for  spelling.  Since  there  are  so  many  exceptions 
to  almost  all  rules  for  spelling,  the  practical  way  to  learn  to 
spell  is  to  give  definite  attention  to  each  word.  The  following 
rules,  however,  are  worth  remembering : 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  71 

1.  "Words  of  one  syllable  and  other  words  accented  on  the 
last  syllable,  ending  in  a  single  consonant  preceded  by  a  single 
vowel,  generally  double  the  final  consonant  before  a  suffix 
beginning  with  a  vowel."  ^ 

drop,  dropping  occur,  occurring 

begin,  beginning  plan,  planning 

Exceptions,  {a)  This  rule  does  not  apply  to  words  in  which 
the  last  syllable  is  unaccented. 

benefit,  benefited  merit,  merited 

transfer,  transferable  register,  registered 

{b)  Words  ending  in  ce  or  ge  retain  the  e  before  a  suffix  be- 
ginning with  a  or  o,  in  order  to  preserve  the  soft  sound  of  c  and  g, 

change,  changeable  advantage,  advantageous 

notice,  noticeable  courage,  courageous 

2.  A  final  e  is  usually  dropped  before  a  suffix  beginning 
with  a  vowel,  but  is  retained  before  a  suffix  beginning  with  a 
consonant. 

safe,  safety  hope,  hoping  blame,  blamable 

rate,  rating  mere,  merely  tame,  tamable 

Exceptions. 

judge,  judgment  true,  truly 

3.  {a)  Words  ending  in^  preceded  by  a  consonant  generally 
change  J  to  i  before  a  suffix  beginning  with  any  other  letter  than  i. 

notify,  notification  library,  libraries         apply,  applies 

inventory,  inventories         supply,  supplies         try,  tries 

{b)  Words  ending  in  y  preceded  by  a  vowel  generally  retain 
y  before  a  suffix. 

play,  playing,  playful  delay,  delaying,  delayed 

say,  saying  pay,  paying,  paid 

1  Brooks,  English  Composition. 


72  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

4.  In  words  in  which  ei  or  ie  is  pronounced  e,  c  is  followed 
by  ei. 

receive,  receipt  conceit,  deceit 

As  a  rime  puts  it : 

When  the  letter  c  you  spy 
Place  the  e  before  the  /. 

5.  The  prefixes  dis,  mis,  and  im,  and  the  suffixes  ly  and 
ness,  do  not  usually  affect  the  spelling  of  a  word.  If  the  prefix 
ends  and  the  word  begins  with  the  same  letter,  or  the  suffix 
begins  and  the  word  ends  with  the  same  letter,  naturally  that 
letter  will  occur  twice. 

u/2-;2ecessary,  unnecessary  mij'-j^pell,  misspell 

occasiona/-/y,  occasionally  di^-^atisfy,  dissatisfy 

EXERCISE  9  —  Oral  or  Written 

Apply  the  rules  given  above  to  the  italicized  letters  in  the 
following  words : 

com^,  coming  lay,  lading 

defer,  deferred  purchase,  purchasable 

.  dii-i-olve  real,  rea//y 

dun,  dunning  rat^,  rating 

EXERCISE  10  — Oral 

Show  that  the  following  italicized  words  are  exceptions  to 
the  rules  indicated : 

1.  Hoe,  hoeing \    shoe,   shoeing \    see,  seeing \    dye,  dyeing \ 
mile,  mileage.    (Rule  2.) 

2.  Beauty,  beauteous ;  dry,  dfyly.    (Rule  3.) 

EXERCISE  11 

(i)  Write  the  plural  of  the  following  nouns  and  be  ready  to 
give  the  rule  that  applies  in  each  case : 

geography         company         chimney         money         penny 
laboratory  journey  monkey  valley  story 

assembly  library  country  ferry  boy 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  73 

(2)  Write  the  third  person  singular,  present  indicative  and 
past  indicative,  of  the  following  verbs : 

journey  marry  study  buy  pay 

specify  hurry  deny  say  try 

certify  carry  play  lay  fly 

EXERCISE  12 

The  following  words  occur  frequently  in  letters  of  application. 
Be  prepared  to  write  them  from  dictation, 
application  > 

'2     advertisement 
3    acquaintance      (\^ 
<L    correspondence 
•^    appreciate 


business 

convenient 

English 

assistant 

eligible 


experience       ~> 

grammar 

graduate         \^ 

manager 

qualifications  (^ 

principal  ja 

superintend 

reference 

refer 

truly 


recommendation 

respectfully 
^  j  respectively 
j/v  secretary 
;  •    stenographer 

bookkeeper 

salary 
9^  tesdmonial 
2  v  vacancy 

address 


EXERCISE  13 

The  following  words  apply  to  persons  holding  certain  positions. 
Be  sure  that  you  can  readily  pronounce  and  write  every  word 
in  the  list. 

|.^  27.  mechanic 
./  28.  machinist 
^     29.  typist 

30.  agriculturist 

31.  horticulturist 
^^^2.  agent 

^^.  amanuensis 

34.  chauffeur 

35.  chef 
;  -  36.  laundress 

-,-.37.  waitress 
;^S.  secretary 
39.  representative 


I.  accountant 
/  2.  conductor 

3.  inspector 

4.  contractor 

5.  janitor 

6.  surveyor 
/y  7.  professor 

8.  instructor 

9.  advertiser 

10.  bookkeeper 

11.  housekeeper 

12.  forester 

13.  stenographer 


14.  manager 

15.  messenger 

16.  carpenter 

17.  traveler 

18.  employer 

19.  carrier 

20.  telegrapher 

21.  manufacturer 

22.  jobber 

23.  assistant 

24.  attendant 

25.  electrician 

26.  mechanician 


74 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


>^ 


}  ^   40.  engineer 

41.  architect 

42.  employee 

43.  brakeman 

44.  motorman 


45.  expressman 

46.  statistician 

47.  administrator 

48.  proprietor 

49.  compositor 

EXERCISE  14 


50.  executor 

51.  executrix 

52.  assignee 

53.  attorney 

54.  pharmacist 


Write  sentences  showing  that  you  understand  clearly  the 
meaning  of  the  words  in  the  list  in  Exercise  13,  numbered  as 
follows  :  I,  4,  6,  7,  12,  13,  21,  22,  26,  29,  31,  33,  42.  Consult 
your  dictionary  where  necessary. 

Make  a  written  list  of  ten  business  titles  not  included  under 
Exercise  1 3,  and  be  prepared  to  dictate  your  list  to  the  class. 

EXERCISE  15 
The  following  words  are  frequently  used  in  banking  or  other 


money  transactions. 
or  to  spell  it  orally. 

"^^   I.  antedate 

2.  asset 

3.  balance 

Ji.    4.  bankbook 

^  i  5.  cancel 

6.  canceled 

7.  capital 

8.  cashier 

9.  certificate 

10.  certified 

11.  check 


Be  prepared  to  write  the  list  from  dictation 


12.  collateral 

13.  counterfeit 

14.  creditor 

15.  currency 
^cyi6.  debit 

17.  depositor 

18.  director 

19.  duplicate 
^<jf2o.  embezzle 

'     21.  endowment 

22.  guarantee 

EXERCISE  16 


23.  indorse 

24.  interest 

25.  liability 

26.  negotiable 

27.  payable 

28.  principal 
.^i)  29.  promissory 

30.  protest 

31.  remittance 

32.  reserve 
^^,  securities 


Give  in  your  own  words  the  best  meaning  you  can  of  the 
words  numbered  i,  5,  7,  8,  11,  16,  18,  20,  25,  27,  29,  in  the 
list  above. 


f,jfH. 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS 


7S 


EXERCISE  17 

The  following  words  are  sometimes  used  in  transacting  insur- 
ance or  in  adjusting  claims.  Be  prepared  to  spell  the  words  and 
to  give  oral  definitions  of  those  numbered  i,  5,  6,  12,  14,  15,  26. 


accident 

adjuster 

adjustment 

agreement 

allowance 

annuity 

7.  appraiser 

8.  assurance 

9.  award 


II 
12 


10.  benefit 
bonus 
calculate 

13.  collector 

14.  endowment 

15.  equitable 

16.  indemnity 

17.  installment 

18.  insurance 


19.  leakage 

20.  legal 

21.  lessee 

22.  liabilities 

23.  liability 

24.  lose 

25.  obligations 

26.  policies 

27.  premium 


EXERCISE  18 

In  the  shipment  of  goods  the  following  words  are  often  used. 
Be  prepared  to  pronounce,  spell,  and  define  every  word  in  the  list. 


advise 

customs 

memoranda 

specification 

agreement 

demurrage 

merchandise 

storage 

arrival 

depot 

nondelivery 

tally 

article 

destination 

quarantine 

tare 

breakage 

express 

rebate 

tariff                1 

carrier 

expressage 

receipt 

towage 

cartage 

foreign 

register 

transportation 

'I 


EXERCISE  19 

The  following  words  are  of  frequent  occurrence  in  commercial 
law.  With  the  aid  of  a  good  dictionary  write  out  definitions  of 
the  following:  4,  8,  13,  15,  20,  22. 

1.  abatement 

2.  acquaintance 

3- 


administer 

4.  affidavit 

5.  agreement 

6.  annul 

7.  appurtenance 
assign 


8 


9.  assignee 

10.  attorney 

11.  barrister 

12.  chattel 

13.  concurrence 

14.  copartnership 

15.  copyright 

16.  counsel 


17.  defendant 

18.  guaranty 
incorporate 
litigation 
partnership 
plaintiff 
procedure 
therefore 


19. 

20. 
21. 

22. 

23- 
24. 


L 


J&  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  20  —  Oral  or  Written 

Show  by  using  them  in  sentences  that  you  understand  the 
meaning  of  the  words  numbered  3,  10,  12,  16,  21,  22,  in 
Exercise  19. 

EXERCISE  21 

Be  prepared  to  write  from  dictation  any  one  of  the  following 
selections.    Attend  to  capitalization. 

A  BRIGHT  young  man,  possessing  force  with  executive 
ability,  wanted  in  the  office  of  a  manufacturer  as  cor- 
respondent and  assistant  office  manager,  with  opportunity  for 
speedy  advancement;  must  be  able  to  invest  $5000  in  com- 
pany stock;  salary  to  commence,  $1500 ;  references  exchanged. 
Address,  giving  age  and  past  experience,  E.  W.  S.,  Daily  Record, 
Mishawaka,  Ind. 

A  FINANCIAL  institution  recently  organized  in  Florida 
desires  first-class  men  to  place  part  of  its  stock  in  differ- 
ent sections  of  the  South ;  former  experience  not  necessary, 
as  this  proposition  is  Ai  and  will  appeal  to  any  one  with 
money  to  invest ;  a  splendid  opportunity  for  a  large  income ; 
applications  treated  in  strict  confidence.  Address  Treasurer, 
P.O.  Box  1257,  Tallahassee. 

WANTED,  in  a  family  of  four,  two  girls  to  do  all  work 
except  washing ;  those  used  to  working  together  pre- 
ferred ;  to  the  right  persons  good  wages  and  steady  employ- 
ment ;  references  required  ;  also  please  state  how  long  employed 
in  last  place.    Address  O.  K.  K.,  Indianapolis  World, 

AN  EDUCATED,  experienced,  refined  American  young 
Jl\.  woman  stenographer  and  general  office  assistant  wanted  in 
editorial  office  ;  an  unusual  opening  for  capable  person  ;  salary 
small  at  start;  application  must  be  in  own  handwriting,  stat- 
ing age,  education,  experience,  references,  and  salary  expected. 
Address,  V.  S.  L.,  San  Francisco  Advertiser, 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS 


n 


A  STENOGRAPHER  wanted  to  assist  secretary  of  Cleve- 
land organization  for  few  weeks  and  possibly  perma- 
nently; young  man  of  good  appearance,  inclined  to  work, 
with  business  office  or  newspaper  experience  preferred ;  state 
when  available,  age,  education,  and  pay  wanted;  telephone 
for  appointment;  Main  7435. 


EXERCISE  22  —  Oral  or  Written 


The  following  words 
a  group  may  be  spelled 

1.  abbreviation 

2.  accede 

3.  accessible 

4.  accumulate 

5.  achieve 

6.  acknowledge 

7.  across 

8.  affiliation 

9.  agency 

10.  aggravation 

11.  alienate 

12.  all  right 

13.  allowance 

14.  annex 

15.  apparatus 

16.  appearance 

17.  appreciate 

18.  apprentice 

19.  appropriation 

20.  approval 

21.  arrears 

22.  ascent 

23.  athletic 

24.  auction 

25.  audit 

26.  auditor 

27.  auxiliary 

28.  avoirdupois 


may  be  divided 
each  day : 

29.  awkward 

30.  believe 

31.  beneficial 

32.  blamable 

33.  bookkeeping 

34.  boundary 

35.  business 

36.  calendar 

37.  capitalist 

38.  choose 

39.  coming 

40.  commerce 

41.  commercial 

42.  commit 

43.  commodious 

44.  comparative 

45.  competitive 

46.  concede 

47.  concurrence 

48.  conferred 

49.  conscientious 

50.  consideration 

51.  consistent 

52.  contributory 

53.  corporation 

54.  credibility 

55.  deceive 

56.  defalcation 


into  groups  of  ten,  and 

57.  deferred 

58.  definite 

59.  depreciate 

60.  device 

61.  devise 

62.  difference 

63.  dilapidated 

64.  disappear 

65.  disappoint 

66.  dissatisfaction 

67.  dissolution 

68.  dissolve 

69.  dunning 

70.  eighth 

71.  embarrass 

72.  embarrassment 

73.  emporium 

74.  enthusiasm 

75.  equally 

76.  equivalent 

77.  exaggerate 

78.  exceed 

79.  excel 

80.  excellent 

81.  existence 

82.  experience 

83.  extravagant 

84.  facsimile 


78 

85.  February 

86.  finally 

87.  financier 

88.  folio 

89.  forfeit 

90.  forgery 

91.  formerly 

92.  forty 

93.  grammar 

94.  hammock 

95.  handkerchief 

96.  harbor 

97.  height 

98.  hundredth 

99.  impossible 
100.  improbable 
loi.  indemnity 

102.  independent 

103.  indispensable 

104.  insistence 

105.  insolvency 

106.  intelligible 

107.  invoice 

108.  judgment 

109.  laid 
no.  later 

111.  latter 

112.  lease 

113.  ledger 

114.  legacy 

115.  legal 

116.  limitation 

117.  liquidate 

118.  maintenance 

119.  maritime 

120.  merchandise 

121.  merger 

122.  metric 

123.  messenger 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

124.  misrepresent  163.  reducible 

125.  moreover  164.  reimburse 

126.  mortgage  165.  remitter 

127.  necessary  166.  reservoir 

128.  noticeable  167.  scrutinize 

129.  occasion  168.  separate 

130.  occasionally  169.  serviceable 

131.  occur  170.  signature 

132.  occurred  171.  similar 
L^^.  offer  172.  solvent 

134.  omission  173.  specially 

135.  omit  174.  specification 

136.  one's  self  175.  specimen 

137.  opportunity  176.  speculator 

138.  original  177.  speech 

139.  parallel  178.  stationary 

140.  permissible  179.  stationery 

141.  possess  180.  stereotype 

142.  possession  181.  succeed 

143.  precede  182.  syndicate 

144.  preference  183.  technical 

145.  preferred  184.  tenant 

146.  preliminary  185.  tenement 

147.  preparation  186.  their 

148.  prescription  187.  therefore 

149.  privilege  188.  thousandth 

150.  proceed  189.  together 

151.  profession  190.  too 

152.  proficient  191.  totally 

153.  prohibitory  192.  traceable 

154.  purchasable  193.  transfer 

155.  quarterly  194.  transferred 

156.  quotation  195.  truly 

157.  quotient  196.  twelfth 

158.  really  197.  until 

159.  recede  198.  vicissitude 

160.  receivable  *     199.  wholesale 

161.  receive  200.  writer 

162.  recommend  201.  writing 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  79 

EXERCISE  23 

From  the  list  of  grammatical  terms  in  Appendix  D  select 
and  write  any  that  you  cannot  readily  spell.  Be  prepared  to 
dictate  your  list  to  the  class. 

EXERCISE  24 

Make  a  list  of  the  words  in  Chapter  I  that  you  consider 
especially  difficult  to  spell.  The  teacher  may  use  the  lists 
prepared  by  the  students  as  the  basis  of  a  spelling  exercise 
for  the  class. 

EXERCISE  25 

Write  the  names  of  the  following  groups,  giving  attention 
to  capitalization : 

1.  The  days  of  the  week. 

2.  The  months  of  the  year. 

3.  The  four  seasons. 

4.  The  public  holidays  in  your  state. 

EXERCISE  26 

Be  prepared  to  write  from  dictation  any  of  the  abbreviations 
in  Exercise  27.  Select  any  ten  and  give  instances  in  which 
the  abbreviated  forms  of  the  words  are  correctly  used. 

EXERCISE  27 

Select  from  the  following  list  of  abbreviations  those  which 
you  consider  in  common  use.  Write  sentences  illustrating 
their  use. 

A.  =  America ;  American  Agt.  =  agent 

Ai  =  first  class  A.M.  or  a.m.  =  before  noon 

Acct.  or  acct.  =  account  Amt.  or  amt.  =  amount 

Acct.  Cur.  =  account  current  App.  =  appendix 

Acct.  Sales  =  account  of  sales  Asst.  =  assistant 

Adv.  or  adv.  =  advertisement  Atty.  =  attorney 
Ad  val.  =  ad  valorem  (according  to      Av.  or  Ave.  =  avenue 

value)  bal.  =  balance 


So 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


bbl.  =  barrel,  barrels 

bdl.  =  bundle,  bundles 

bk.  =  bank 

B/L.  =  bill  of  lading 

bldg.  =  building 

bu.  =  bushel,  bushels 

b.p.  =  bills  payable 

b.r.  =  bills  receivable 

bx.  =  box,  boxes 

^  =  cent,  cents 

Co.  =  company  ;  county 

C.O.D.  =  collect  on  delivery 

Coll.  =  collection  ;  collector 

Cr.  =  credit ;  creditor 

cwt.  =  hundredweight 

dept.  =  department 

do.  =  the  same 

doz.  =  dozen 

Dr.  =  debtor ;  doctor 

E.   &   O.E.  =  Errors   and    omissions 

excepted 
e.g.  =  for  example 
Esq.  =  Esquire 
etc.  or  &c.  =  and  so  forth 
Exc.  =  exchange 
f.o.b.  or  F.O.B.  =  free  on  board 
fol.  =  folio  or  page 
ft.  =  foot,  feet 
gal.  =  gallon,  gallons 
gro.  =  gross 

hhd.  =  hogshead,  hogsheads 
hund.  =  hundred 
i.e.  =  that  is 
ins.  =  insurance 

inst.  =  instant ;  the  present  month 
int.  =  interest 
inv.  =  invoice 
Jr.  =  junior 
kg.  =  keg 

lb.  =  pound,  pounds 
M.  or  m.  =  noon 
mdse.  =  merchandise 
mem.  =  memorandum 
Messrs.  =  gentlemen,  sirs 
mfg.  =  manufacturing 
min.  =  minute,  minutes 
Mr.  =  Mister 


Mrs.  =  Mistress 

MS.  =  manuscript 

N.B.  =  take  notice 

No.  or  no.  =  number 

O.K.  =  all  correct 

oz,  =  ounce,  ounces 

p.  =  page 

pp.  =  pages 

payt.  =  payment 

pc.  =  piece 

pd.  =  paid 

per  =  by 

Per  cent  or  per  cent  =  by  the  hundred 

pk.  =  peck,  pecks 

pkg.  =  package,  packages 

P.M.  or  p.m.  =  afternoon 

P.O.  =  post  office 

pr.  =  pair 

Pres.  =  president 

prox.  =  proximo,  of  the  next  month 

P.S.  =  postscript 

reed.  =  received 

retd.  =  returned 

Rev.  =  reverend 

R.R.  =  railroad 

Ry.  =  railway 

Sec.  =  secretary 

sq.  ft.  =  square  foot,  square  feet 

Sr.  =  senior 

St.  =  street ;  saint 

Str.  =  steamer 

Supt.  =  superintendent 

Treas.  =  treasurer 

ult.  =  ultimo ;  of  the  last  month 

via  =  by  way  of 

viz.  =  namely,  to  wit 

vol.  =  volume 

vs.  =  against 

W/B.  =  way  bill 

wt.  =  weight 

°  =  degree,  degrees 

Yd.  or  yd.  =  yard,  yards 

Yr.  or  yr.  =  year,  years 

a/c  =  accouPt 

c/o  =  care  of 

%  =  per  cent 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  8 1 

II.  USE  OF  WORDS 

52.  Vocabulary.  As  no  young  student  is  likely  to  have  a 
sufficient  number  of  words  at  his  command,  he  should  early 
set  about  enlarging  his  vocabulary.  This  is  by  no  means  an 
easy  task  and  requires  long  and  patient  attention  to  word 
study.  Among  the  means  that  may  be  recommended  the 
following  deserve  notice : 

1.  Use  of  a  dictionary. 

2.  Wide  and  diligent  reading,  especially  reading  aloud. 

3.  Study  of  the  language  of  good  speakers. 

4.  Practice. 

53.  The  dictionary.  The  dictionary  must  be  consulted  when 
there  is  any  doubt  about  the  meaning  of  a  word.  Such  a  practice 
is  likely  to  be  at  times  irksome,  but  the  *' dictionary  habit" 
must  be  acquired  by  any  one  who  would  increase  his  vocabulary. 
The  business  man  should  have  a  small  dictionary  always  on  his 
desk  and  a  large  one  at  hand. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  dictionaries  recognized  as 
authorities.  Any  one  of  them  contains  almost  everything  that 
can  be  brought  under  the  head  of  words  and  their  meaning. 

Webster's  New  International  Dictionary  (G.  &  C.  Merriam  Co.): 
an  authority  on  definitions  from  a  legal  point  of  view;  excellent  on 
synonyms ;  although  an  exhaustive  dictionary,  it  is  so  arranged  that 
it  is  serviceable  for  ordinary  use. 

Worcester's  Dictionary  (J.  B.  Lippincott  Company)  :  remarkable  for 
the  simplicity  of  its  definitions. 

Standard  Dictionary  (Funk  &  Wagnalls  Company):  good  on 
commercial  and  handicraft  terms ;  excellent  lists  of  synonyms  and 
homonyms;    illustrative  material  very  modern. 

Century  Dictionary  and  Encyclopedia  (The  Century  Company) : 
exhaustive  lists  of  terms  relating  to  arts,  trades,  and  professions; 
contains  in  brief  almost  all  subjects  found  in  the  large  encyclopedias. 

New  English  Dictionary,  popularly  known  as  "  Murray's  Diction- 
ary" (Oxford  University  Press):  an  exhaustive  compilation  ;  probably 
too  large  for  common  use,  but  usually  considered  the  final  authority 
on  dictionary  matters. 


82  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Roget's  Thesaurus  of  English  Words  (Longmans,  Green  &  Co. 
or  Thomas  Y.  Crowell  Company ;  less  complete  edition,  Everyman's 
Library):  a  handy  volume  for  suggesting  words  to  express  exactly  a 
given  idea. 

54.  Reading.  One  of  the  readiest  means  of  acquiring  a  large 
vocabulary  is  v^ide  and  diligent  reading.  As  has  been  said 
before,  commercial  English  is  not  an  isolated  field.  The  best 
words  in  the  best  literary  productions  are  none  too  good  for 
business  use.  One  of  the  greatest  writers  of  advertisements 
attributes  his  extraordinary  vocabulary  to  his  continual  study  of 
the  Bible.  But  while  everybody  should  read  as  widely  as  he 
can,  the  successful  man  must  specialize ;  and  the  commercial 
student  can  comfort  himself  with  the  reflection  that  there  are 
great  books  in  his  own  particular  field.  Economics,  banking, 
advertising,  salesmanship,  and  other  departments  of  business 
have  been  treated  by  able  writers.  In  such  books  the  busi- 
ness student  may  find  means  of  increasing  his  vocabulary 
while  at  the  same  time  he  broadens  his  knowledge  of  his 
own  field. 

55.  Good  speakers.  The  language  used  every  day  is  the  most 
effective  speech,  but  much  of  it  is  the  expression  of  loose  and 
careless  thinking  or  pure  ignorance  or  stupidity.  Your  language 
should  be  that  of  those  who  think  and  know  how  to  say  what 
they  think.  Study  the  words  of  good  speakers  and  note  carefully 
not  only  what  they  say  but  how  they  say  it. 

56.  Practice.  The  rest  of  this  chapter  furnishes  some  prac- 
tice in  the  use  of  words.  It  may  seem  to  you  that  there  is 
almost  too  much  of  it.  The  truth  is  that  the  few  pages  of 
exercises  here  are  only  a  drop  in  the  bucket  compared 
with  the  immense  sea  of  words  in  which  your  mind  is  free  to 
swim.  Opportunity  for  practice  in  the  use  of  words  occurs 
almost  every  moment.  Open  eyes  and  ears  are  about  all  that 
is  necessary  for  adding  wisely  to  your  vocabulary  every  day. 

Everybody  carries  in  his  head  four  vocabularies  :  words  used 
(i)  in  thinking,  (2)  in  speaking,  (3)  in  writing,  (4)  in  reading. 


SPELLING  AND.  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  83 

The  vocabulary  with  which  one  thinks  has  probably  the  fewest 
actual  words  ;  the  vocabulary  of  reading  has  the  most. 

Attention  to  your  reading  vocabulary  will  show  that  you  have 
already  in  your  mind  a  large  number  of  words  which,  neverthe- 
less, you  seem  to  forget  entirely  when  you  write  and  speak. 
Try  to  make  all  the  words  that  you  know  serve  your  needs. 

Here  is  a  practical  suggestion  : 

Read  a  representative  book  of  a  standard  author  and  under- 
line every  word  that  you  do  not  know  or  that  you  almost  never 
use.  Make  on  cards  an  alphabetical  list  of  these  words,  with 
their  definitions  and  with  sentences  illustrating  their  use. 

EXERCISE  28 

If  you  have  read  the  text  of  this  book  to  this  point,  you  have 
used  the  words  in  the  following  list.    How  many  of  these  words 
do  you  understand  exactly  ?   Use  each  in  a  sentence. 
distinct  securities  diverse  dunning 

literary  tantalize  auxiliary  approximately 

adapted  intangible  coordinate  ^  gratis 

erratic  curriculum  prospective  dubious 

EXERCISE  29 

Select  from  the  preceding  pages  of  this  book  and  bring  to 
class  ten  words  the  meaning  and  use  of  which  are  not  quite 
clear  to  you.  Exchange  your  list  for  that  of  some  other  student, 
and  try  to  define  his  words  and  use  them  in  sentences. 

EXERCISE  30 

Select  from  the  paragraph  below  (i)  the  words  which  you  do 
not  understand,  (2)  the  words  which  you  understand  but  do  not 
use,  (3)  the  words  which  you  might  use  in  writing  but  probably 
not  in  speaking : 

The  power  granted  to  the  Federal  Reserve  Board  to  define 
the  character  of  the  paper  eligible  for  discount  by  the  regional 
banks  has  led  to  a  lively  discussion  among  clearing  house  com- 
mittees and  individual  bankers,  whose  opinions  on  this  point  have 


84  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

been  asked  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  Some  of  these 
hold  that  the  modern  American  system  of  granting  continuous 
book  credits  to  persons,  firms,  and  corporations  whose  commer- 
cial standing  is  known  to  the  banker  is  nearer  to  a  cash  basis 
and  therefore  safer  and  more  economical  than  the  European 
system  of  double-name  paper  and  the  open-discount  market. 
These  persons  contend  that  the  modern  American  system  is  a 
natural  evolution,  and  that  it  would  be  both  unwise  and  impos- 
sible to  abolish  it.  They  hold  that  successful  banking  depends 
upon  the  exercise  of  intelligent  judgment  formed  through  ex- 
perience, and  is  not  amenable  to  arbitrary  rules.  —  White, 
"  Money  and  Banking  " 

EXERCISE  31 

Make  a  list  of  twelve  words  of  which  you  know  the  meaning, 
but  which  may  not  be  known  to  your  classmates.  Exchange 
your  list  for  that  of  some  other  student  and  write  definitions  of 
the  words  in  the  list  you  have  received. 

EXERCISE  32 

From  the  pages  of  one  of  your  textbooks  make  a  list  of  ten 
words  that  you  do  not  clearly  understand.  Proceed  with  the  list 
as  in  Exercise  31. 

EXERCISE  33  —  Oral  or  Written 

A.  Be  able  to  define  the  following  words,  consulting,  where 
necessary,  a  dictionary  and  Appendix  D  : 

1.  assets,  liabilities  6.  imports,  exports 

2.  bills  payable,  bills  receivable  7.  express,  freight 

3.  debit,  credit  8.  bull,  bear 

4.  debtor,  creditor  9.  rise,  fall 

5.  gross,  net  10.  brisk,  dull 

B,  Substitute  for  the  numbers  in  the  following  sentences 
suitable  words  similarly  numbered  in  the  list  given  above  : 

1.  (i)  are  the  resources  of  a  business ;  (i)  are  anything 
owed  by   a  business. 

2.  A  merchant  desires  always  to  have  good  (3),  and  does 
not  wish  to  have  his  (i)  in  excess  of  his  (i). 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  85 

3.  The  (5)  receipts  for  the  month  were  $12,000,  but  the 
(5)  profit  was  only  $300. 

4.  A  (4)  expects  to  receive  money ;  a  (4)  to  pay  money. 

5.  In  19 14  the  (6)  upon  which  custom  duties  were  paid  in 
the  United  States  amounted  to  more  than  $1,000,000. 

6.  Some  persons  think  that  a  country,  to  be  prosperous, 
must  have  larger  (6)  than  (6). 

7.  To  be  financially  sound  a  firm  should  have  available 
(i)  in  excess  of  its  (i). 

8.  When  business  is  (10),  banks  usually  give  (3)  more  readily 
than  when  it  is  (10). 

9.  A  (8)  is  a  speculator  who  believes  that  stocks  will  (9) 
in  price. 

10.  A  (8)  is  a  speculator  who  sells  stocks  which  he  does 
not  own. 

11.  (7)  rates  are  lower  than  (7)  rates,  but  the  delivery  is 
slower. 

12.  He  wired  that  he  must  have  the  goods  at  once  by  (7). 

EXERCISE  34 

In  sentences  of  your  own,  use  the  words  in  the  list  in  Exer« 
cise  33.    Contrast  as  many  of  the  words  as  you  can. 

EXERCISE  35 
In  the  following  exercise  proceed  as  in  Exercise  33  : 
A.    I.  consignor,  consignee  8.  solvent,  insolvent 

2.  buyer,  seller  9.  trade  price,  retail  price 

3.  retail,  wholesale  iQ.  written  agreement,  tacit 

4.  long,  short  agreement 

5.  due,  outlawed  11.  above  par,  below  par 

6.  premium,  discount  12.  cash,  credit 

7.  drawee,  payee 

B.  1.  The  account  may  be  morally  (5),  but  as  the  debtor  has 
paid  nothing  on  it  for  many  years,  it  is  (5)  and  cannot  be  collected. 

2.  We  are  (4)  on  Christmas  goods  and  can  give  you  all 
you  need,  excepting  that  we  shall  be  (4)  on  card  games  until 
our  foreign  shipment  arrives. 


86  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

3.  The  (i)  cannot  consider  the  (i)  his  debtor  until  the  com- 
mon carrier  has  actually  delivered  the  goods. 

4.  When  goods  are  sent  by  freight  or  express,  the  (2)  is 
usually  the  (i)  and  the  (2)  is  the  (i). 

5.  A  (3)  merchant  prefers  to  sell  to  the  (3)  merchant  direct 
rather  than  through  a  jobber. 

6.  Some  (3)  merchants  give  a  regular  (6)  for  (12),  but 
others  prefer  to  give  thirty  days'  (12). 

7.  When  a  stock  is  selling  for  105,  it  is  said  to  be  selling 
at  a  (6)  of  5  per  cent;  if  it  is  selling  at  95,  it  is  said  to  be 
selling  at  a  (6)  of  5  per  cent. 

8.  A  promissory  note  is  a  (10)  to  pay  money  at  a  certain 
time. 

9.  When  a  (2)  accepts  an  invoice  of  goods  on  which  the 
terms  are  stated  to  be  thirty  days,  there  is  a  (10)  between 
him  and  the  (2)  that  the  account  must  be  settled  in  that  time. 

10.  A  (3)  merchant  may  sell  the  same  goods  as  a  (3)  mer- 
chant, but  he  sells  them  at  a  lower  price. 

11.  A  (8)  business  is  one  in  which  the  available  assets  exceed 
the  liabilities. 

12.  A  bank  is  not  necessarily  (8)  when  it  cannot  meet  a  run 
made  by  panicky  depositors. 

13.  The  (7)  of  a  bill  of  'exchange  receives  money,  the  (7) 
usually  pays  money. 

14.  Private  checks,  when  sent  long  distances,  are  usually 
accepted  at  banks  only  at  a  (6). 

EXERCISE  36 

Write  original  sentences  illustrating  the  correct  use  of  the 
words  in  the  list  in  Exercise  35. 

EXERCISE  37 

A.  Be  ready  to  explain  the  meaning  of  the  following  terms 
as  used  in  business. 


Ai 

bearer 

declare 

account  current 

current 

draw 

consignment 

bona  fide 

indorse 

SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  87 


ad  valorem 

carrier 

'     honor 

affidavit 

compound 

flat 

audit 

drawee 

party 

B.  Write  sentences  illustrating  the  use  of  the  terms  given 
above. 

EXERCISE  38  —  Oral  and  Written 

Use  the  following  words  in  sentences : 

beg  favor  wire  communication 

advise  same  telephone  refer 

state  (verb)  above  inquiry  advance 

receipt  instant  value  attention 

EXERCISE  39 

Write  a  short  paragraph  explaining  the  meaning  of  the 
following  terms : 

collateral  security  letter  of  credit  voucher 

indemnity  open  account  way  bill 

installment  rebate  sight  draft 

57.  Synonyms.  *'  Each  word  in  the  language  says  or  implies 
something  which  no  other  word  in  the  language  can  say  or 
imply.'*  Even  if  this  statement  is  not  absolutely  true,  it  fur- 
nishes good  reason  for  careful  study  of  synonyms.  As  has 
probably  been  found  in  the  preceding  exercises  of  this  chapter, 
it  is  often  difficult  to  use  a  word  correctly  even  when  there  are 
no  others  with  which  it  is  likely  to  be  confused ;  but  certain 
words  called  synonyms  are  peculiarly  difficult  to  use  because  of 
their  similarity  of  meaning.  Synonyms  are  words  that  are  nearly, 
but  not  exactly,  alike  in  meaning.  The  difference  in  meaning 
between  synonyms  may  sometimes  be  shown  by  using  them 
successively  in  the  same  sentence.  Asky  beg,  crave,  entreat,  im- 
plore, petition,  and  request  are  synonyms.  Use  these  synonyms 
in  turn  in  the  following  sentence  and  discuss  the  different 
meanings  thus  given : 

We  *  you  to  grant  him  more  time. 


88  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

58.  A  study  of^ words.  Learn  to  discriminate  between  the 
following  words.    Consult  your  dictionary  freely. 

awkward  (referring  to  movement)  ;  clumsy  (referring  to  appear- 
ance of  whole). 

absurd,  foolish,  preposterous  (denoting  something  inconsistent 
with  common  sense).  Foolish  is  the  weakest  expression^ 
preposterous  is  the  strongest. 

authentic  (not  false);  genuine  (not  spurious).  Referring  to 
writing,  a  letter  is  authentic  which  states  the  truth ;  one 
is  genuine  which  is  written  by  the  person  who  signs  it. 
A  genuine  letter  is  not  necessarily  authentic. 

antiquated  (out  of  date);  antique  (not  modern,  old-fashioned). 

adjacent  (near);  adjoining  (actually  touching). 

ample  (sufficiently  large);  spacious  (large,  roomy). 

apt  (denoting  a  habitual  tendency);  likely  (denoting  proba- 
bility); liable  (denoting  unpleasing  probability). 

beautiful  (pleasing);  pretty,  handsome.  Pretty  is  a  weaker 
word  than  handsome^  and  usually  applies  to  smaller  things. 

celebrated  (widely  honored);  distinguished  (standing  apart  so 
as  to  be  conspicuous);  eminent  (standing  above);  famous 
(widely  spoken  of  as  extraordinary);  notorious  (widely 
known,  usually  in  a  bad  sense);  renowned  (frequently 
noted  for  some  particular  deed). 

contemptuous  (showing  contempt);  contemptible  (deserving 
of  contempt). 

minute,  particular.  Minute  includes  more  details  than  par- 
ticular does. 

EXERCISE  40  —  Oral  or  Written 

Substitute  what  seems  to  you  to  be  the  correct  word  for  the 
asterisk  in  each  of  the  following  sentences.  If  other  words 
among  those  given  seem  appropriate,  place  them  in  parentheses 
after  your  first  choice. 

awkward         clumsy 

1.  An  old-fashioned  bicycle  with  its  high  wheels  is  (a,  an)  * 
looking  machine. 

2.  He  certainly  has  (a,  an)  *  gait. 


i 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  89 

3.  Although  he  is  in  appearance  (a,  an)  *  looking  fellow, 
as  a  matter  of  fact  he  is  not  at  all  *,  and  he  is  the  best  mes- 
senger we  have. 

absurd         foolish         preposterous 

4.  It  is  *  to  give  too  great  attention  to  details. 

5.  Some  people  are  so  *  that  they  never  lay  up  anything 
for  a  rainy  day. 

6.  It  is  *  to  attempt  to  induce  your  patrons  to  do  what  they 
all  consider  to  be  *. 

7.  To  expect  parallel  lines  to  touch  is  *. 

8.  The  man  who  argues  that  advertising  as  a  whole  does 
not  pay  is  upholding  (a,  an)  *  proposition. 

authentic         genuine 

9.  I  am  sure  that  this  signature  is  not  *. 

10.  You  must  not  consider  this  report  absolutely  * ;  he  never 
gets  the  exact  facts. 

11.  Even  if  the  letter  is  (a,  an)  *  report  from  headquarters, 
I  am  positive  that  the  statement  is  not  *. 

antiquated         antique 

12.  Such  methods  in  bookkeeping  are  * ;  we  want  an  up-to- 
date  system  here. 

13.  That  table  is  a  genuine  *  and  you  should  be  ready  to 
buy  it  at  almost  any  price. 

14.  The  fittings  of  the  house  are  *  and  belong  to  colonial 
times.    I  would  not  rent  it  unless  it  were  refitted. 

15.  This  is  (a,  an)  *  pattern  very  popular  today. 

ample         spacious 

16.  This  is  *  floor  space  for  our  display. 

17.  The  house  is  in  the  colonial  style  with  (a,  an)  *  hallway 
and  large  rooms  on  the  first  floor. 

18.  What  (a,  an)  *  apartment! 

apt         likely         liable 

19.  He  is  *  from  long  training  to  do  the  right  thing. 

20.  Be  more  careful  of  your  credit  sales  or  you  are  *  to 
be  a  serious  loser. 

R 


90  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

21.  It  is  *  to  rain  today. 

22.  The  bank  is  *  to  refuse  his  paper. 

23.  They  are  *  to  advertise  in  the  Sunday  edition  of  some 
paper. 

beautiful         pretty         handsome 

24.  What  a  *  little  doll  I 

25.  That  is  a  *  and  expensive  window  display. 

26.  She  is  a  *  woman. 

27.  A  man  might  feel  offended  if  he  were  told  he  was  *; 
he  might  feel  flattered  if  told  he  was  *. 

28.  This  is  a  *  example  of  Turkish  designing  in  carpets. 

contemptuous         contemptible 

29.  He  is  a  *  fellow ;  a  sneak  always  is. 

30.  You  need  not  appear  so  *  ;  the  offer  is  worth  considering. 

31.  Such  poor  work  is  *. 

minute         particular 

32.  Do  not  be  so  * ;  it  is  not  necessary. 

33.  Be  more  *  in  future;  we  need  more  than  a  general 
knowledge  of  your  work. 

34.  He  gave  a  *  account  of  his  trip,  mentioning  even  the 
exact  time  he  had  spent  at  each  station. 

celebrated  eminent         notorious 

distinguished         famous  renowned 

35.  He  is  *  from  Maine  to  Texas  for  his  reliability. 

36.  He  is  by  far  the  most  *  man  in  the  club. 

37.  I    can  hardly  hope  to  be  placed    so  high  in  popular 
opinion  as  so  *  a  man  as  he. 

38.  The  firm  is  *   for  its  failure  to   live  up  to   its  plain 
obligations. 

39.  They  are  *  as  the  first  firm  to  establish  old-age  pensions 
for  employees. 

40.  The    wonderful   invention   of    wireless   telegraphy   has 
made  Marconi  *. 

41.  A  *  statesman  has  been  asked  to  preside. 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  91 

EXERCISE  41  -  Oral  or  Written 

In  sentences  of  your  own  illustrate  the  use  of  the  following 
words  : 

authentic      terrible       clumsy      famous       absurd     awful 
spacious        antique      pretty        minute        liable       very 

EXERCISE  42 

Be  ready  to  define  the  following  words.  Illustrate  their  use 
by  writing  sentences. 

extravagant         universal  cautious         novel         lazy 

wholesome  healthful  profuse  latest         fine 

preceding  plausible  general  good  less 

EXERCISE  43 

Examine  the  use  of  the  italicized  words  in  the  following 
sentences.  If  any  words  seem  to  be  wrongly  used,  substitute 
expressions  that  seem  more  appropriate. 

1.  Genuine  Mocha  coffee  is  not  in  general  use. 

2.  The  universal  opinion  in  the  United  States  is  that,  on  the 
whole,  the  results  of  an  election  must  be  accepted. 

3.  North  and  South  have  a  mutual  interest  in  Memorial 
Day. 

4.  He  was  a  profuse  provider,  but  wasted  very  little. 

5.  There  are  less  customers  here  than  there  were  at  three 
o'clock. 

6.  The  offices  are  well  lighted  and  very  healthy. 

7.  He  may  be  inefficient,  but  he  is  not  incapable,  for  all  he 
needs  is  training. 

8.  Everything  that  is  novel  is  new,  but  not  everything  that 
is  new  is  necessarily  novel. 

9.  This  is  a  nice  day  for  the  picnic. 

10.  The  last  in  line  was  also  the  latest  to  buy  a  ticket. 

11.  I  have  the  last  news  from  the  city. 

12.  The  last  returns  will  come  sometime  tomorrow. 

13.  It  does  not  ^^^x^  practicable  to  build  higher  skyscrapers. 


92  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

59.  A  study  of  words.     Distinguish   carefully  between  the 
meanings  of  the  following  words : 

ability  (often  implying  that  one  is  able  to  do  something) ;  capacity 
(implying  resources,  often  undeveloped).  One  may  have  the 
capacity  to  learn  French,  but  not  the  ability  to  read  it. 

account  (an  informal  report  of  a  single  event  or  a  group  of 
events  taken  as  one)  ;  report  (a  word  of  broad  application, 
usually  implying  a  somewhat  formal  statement). 

alternative  (choice  between  two  only) ;  choice  (of  any  number). 

amount  (the  sum  total);  number  (something  counted);  quan- 
tity (something  measured).  We  find  the  quantity  (by  bushels 
etc.)  of  potatoes  in  a  barrel,  and  we  count  the  number  of 
bushels. 

assertion  (usually  regarding  rights  and  privileges) ;  statement 
(setting  forth  facts). 

balance  (that  which  makes  equal) ;  remainder  (that  which  is  left 
over). 

blunder,  error,  mistake.  An  error  is  a  departure  from  what  is 
right;  a  mistake  implies  doing  the  wrong  for  the  right. 
Spelling  a  name  wrong  is  a  mistake.  A  blunder  is  a  serious 
error  ox  mistake. 

bravery,  courage.  Courage  is  usually  considered  as  more  deep- 
seated  than  bravery^  and  not  so  effervescent.  One  has  cour- 
age to  face  the  little  daily  trials,  but  bravery  is  displayed  by 
one  who  rescues  a  drowning  man  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life. 

business,  vocation.  Business  is  a  word  of  wider  application  than 
vocation^  but  means  much  the  same.  An  avocation  calls 
one  away  from  a  regular  business  or  a  vocation.  Baseball  is 
the  vocation  of  a  professional  player ;  it  may  be  the  avocation 
of  a  clerk  or  any  man  regularly  employed  otherwise. 

character  (the  real  qualities  of  the  person  or  self) ;  reputation 
(the  character  of  the  person  as  he  appears  to  others). 

competition  (an  endeavor  by  two  or  more  to  attain  what  can 
be  possessed  by  one  only) ;  emulation  (an  endeavor  to 
imitate) ;  rivalry  (keen  and  sometimes  rather  unfriendly 
competition). 

couple  (two,  united  in  some  manner) ;  pair  (two,  usually  similar 
or  intended  to  be  used  together)  ;  two  (twice  one). 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  93 

custom  (an  act  frequently  repeated,  and  implying  an  act  of  the 
will) ;  habit  (a  kind  of  second  nature,  by  which  an  act  is 
performed,  often  without  thinking).  In  an  individual,  custom 
may  become  a  habit. 

He  has  a  habit  of  dropping  his  h's. 

It  is  a  custom  in  this  country  to  observe  the  last  Thursday 
in  November  as  Thanksgiving  Day. 

decision  (making  up  one's  mind) ;  determination  (a  fixed  pur- 
pose) ;  resolution  (firmness  of  purpose). 

EXERCISE  44 

Substitute  v^hat  seems  to  you  to  be  the  correct  word  for  the 
asterisk  in  each  of  the  following  sentences.  If  other  words 
among  those  given  seem  appropriate,  place  them  in  parentheses 
after  your  first  choice. 

ability         capacity 

1.  He  has  not  the  *  to  receive  instruction  in  accounting. 

2.  Have  you  the  *  to  sell  goods  1 

3.  Have  you  the  *  to  become  a  salesman  ? 

account         report 

4.  He  gave  (a,  an)  *  of  the  accident. 

5.  The  *  of  the  meeting  will  be  read  by  the  secretary. 

6.  The  department  will  submit  its  semiannual  *. 

alternative         choice 

7.  Here  is  your  * :  remain  where  you  are  on  your  present 
salary,  accept  a  lower  salary  with  commission,  or  move  to  the 
shoe  department  on  your  present  salary. 

8.  I  had  this  * :  either  to  send  up  my  card  at  once  or  wait 
an  hour. 

amount         number         quantity 

9.  What  is  the  *  of  your  bill  ? 

10.  There  is  a  large  *  of  miscellaneous  goods  in  the  lot. 

11.  Find  out  the  *  of  spare  boxes  in  the  basement. 

12.  Milk  bottles  are  counted  by  * ;  milk  is  measured  by  *. 


94  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

assertion         statement 

13.  His  *  was  that  he  was  not  altogether  to  blame. 

14.  I  admit  that  your  *  of  innocence  is  backed  up  by  the  * 
of  the  other  clerks. 

balance         remainder 

15.  The  *  of  his  account  is  forty-two  dollars. 

16.  The  *  you  mention  cannot  be  correct,  since  it  does  not 
bring  the  account  out  straight. 

17.  I  took  the  *  of  the  cloth,  so  that  there  should  be  nothing 
left. 

blunder         error         mistake 

18.  He  made  (a,  an)  *  when  he  thought  that  the  train  left  at 
three  o'clock. 

19.  I  think  that  you  have  made  (a,  an)  *  in  my  bill;  the 
amount  is  $5.48,  not  $5.38. 

20.  It  seems  to  me  he  made  (a,  an)  *  when  he  built  that  big 
house. 

21.  Excuse  me,  but  I  think  you  are  wrong  when  you  say  he 
made  (a,  an)  *  in  taking  that  money ;  he  made  (a,  an)  *. 

22.  You  have  made  (a,  an)  * ;  please  spell  the  word  again. 

23.  I  think  you  have  made  (a,  an)  *  in  using  a  comma  there, 
but  it  is  a  common  *. 

bravery         courage 

24.  He  showed  the  *  of  his  convictions. 

25.  Firemen  have  often  the  occasion  to  display  great  *. 

26.  He  has  the  *  to  take  himself  at  his  true  value. 


business         vocation         avocation 

27.  He  makes  golf  his  *   and  enjoys  it  after  working  so 
hard  at  his  *. 

28.  A  business  man  needs  a  restful  *,  but  one  that  does  not 
interfere  with  his  *. 

29.  Do  not  let  your  *  consume  so  much  of  yOur  interest  that 
you  have  no  time  for  (a,  an)  *. 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  95 

character         reputation 

30.  A  homely  proverb  says,  "  *  is  what  we  are ;  *  is  what 
other  people  think  we  are." 

31.  A  firm  with  a  good  *  may  easily  have  it  spoiled  by 
dishonest  salesmen. 

32.  A  man's  business  *  should  be  founded  on  high  moral  *. 

competition         emulation         rivalry 

33.  Elridge  and  Griswold  entered  into  fierce  *  for  the  posi- 
tion of  postmaster,  but,  strange  to  say,  they  remained  the  best- 
of  friends. 

34.  There  was  intense  *  between  the  two  firms,  ending  in  a 
bitter  lawsuit. 

35.  *  is  a  high  form  of  praise,  for  it  implies  admiration. 

36.  *,  like  imitation,  is  a  kind  of  flattery. 

couple         pair         two 

37.  I  sold  him  (a)  *  (of)  shoes. 

38.  (A)  *  (of)  andirons  that  are  not  mates  are  of  little  value. 

39.  He  has  (a)  *  (of)  beautiful  horses  which  he  often  drives 
tandem. 

40.  He  showed  me  (a)  *  (of)  pencils,  one  blue  and  the  other 
red,  which  he  used  for  making  distinctive  corrections. 

custom         habit 

41.  It  is  a  pleasing  *  among  Americans  to  exchange  gifts  at 
Christmas. 

42.  It  is  an  almost  universal  *  for  a  gentleman  to  recognize 
in  some  way  the  approach  of  a  lady  who  is  known  to  him. 
Therefore  with  almost  every  gentleman  in  our  country  it  has 
become  a  *  to  raise  his  hat  almost  unconsciously. 

decision         determination         resolution 

43.  Cultivate  *  of  character,  for  you  will  often  have  to  choose 
between  two  possible  courses. 

44.  A  credit  man  must  have  great  *,  for  he  will  be  contin- 
ually asked  for  favors  which  he  should  not  grant. 

45.  *  will  often  bring  success,  even  when  the  *  has  been 
made  to  proceed  by  a  way  that  is  not  the  best. 


96  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  45 

Be  ready  to  define  the  following  words.  Write  sentences 
illustrating  their  use : 

discernment,  discrimination,  judgment  dispatch,  speed 

lady,  woman  depot,  station 

habit,  practice,  custom  genius,  talent 

diligence,  industry  haste,  hurry 

typewriter,  typist,  stenographer  bookkeeper,  accountant 

firm,  corporation  penny,  cent 

EXERCISE  46 

In  the  following  exercise  proceed  as  in  Exercise  45  : 

requirement,  requisite  recovery,  restoration 

misfortune,  mischance  series,  succession 

statue,  statute,  stature  party,  person 

signature,  name  stock,  bond 

60.  Antonyms.  It  has  been  said  that  every  statement  is  a 
comparison.  So  common  a  remark  as  ''  It  *s  a  hot  day  "  neces- 
sitates a  comparison,  even  if  not  directly  noticed,  with  a  day 
that  is  not  hot.  The  word  cold  is  the  direct  opposite  of  hot  and 
is  called  its  antonym.  An  antonym  is  a  word  whose  meaning 
is  approximately  the  opposite  of  that  of  another  word.  Fast  is 
the  antonym  of  slow ^  poor  of  rich^  empty  oifidl. 

There  are  deep-lying  reasons  why  contrasts  impress  us. 
Black  stands  out  against  a  background  of  white ;  a  tall  man 
is  all  the  more  noticeable  when  his  companion  is  short ;  a  noise 
is  sure  to  attract  attention  when  it  breaks  a  stillness  ;  Jim  seems 
all  the  more  successful  simply  because  his  brother  Tom  is  a 
ne'er-do-well.  Therefore  ability  to  use  antonyms  will  add  to  the 
force  and  vividness  of  language.  It  should  be  observed,  also, 
that  phrases  as  well  as  words  may  suggest  contrast.  ''  A  wet 
spring''  is  emphasized  by  ''a  dry  fall,''  ''a  little  sister"  by 
**a  big  brother,"  and  **  the  restless  inattention  of  a  crowd"  is 
contrasted  with  ''the  qniet  attention  of  an  individual," 


■  ^'^:. 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS 


97 


EXERCISE  47 

Give  antonyms 

for  the  following  words : 

up 

give 

free 

similar 

in 

long 

cheap 

pleased 

round 

high 

weak 

reluctant 

general 

open 

true 

prompt 

competent 

wise 

certain 

complete 

possible 

keep 

analyze 

nothing 

intelligent 

quick 

synonym 

believe 

EXERCISE  48 

Give  one  or  more  antonyms  for  as  many  words  as  you  can 
in  the  following  paragraph  : 

It  is  important,  then,  to  cultivate  a  good  appearance  in  order 
to  meet  the  obligations  of  a  position  which  brings  the  worker 
into  contact  with  the  public.  It  is  also  important  to  do  so  in 
order  to  impress  customers  agreeably  and  to  make  them  feel 
that  the  person  serving  them  respects  his  merchandise  and  takes 
good  care  of  it.  And  a  third  reason  for  strict  attention  to  the 
details  of  personal  appearance  is  the  effect  upon  the  individual 
himself.  A  missing  button,  a  grease  spot  in  a  conspicuous  place, 
the  knowledge  that  a  certain  detail  of  clothing  is  not  right,  may 
have  a  disastrous  influence  on  an  entire  day's  work,  because  the 
wearer  of  the  defective  garment  is  annoyed  and  disturbed  by 
the  consciousness  that  he  is  not  up  to  the  standard  in  dress. 
A  person  who  knows  that  he  is  well-dressed,  clean,  and  neat  has 
a  sense  of  self-respect,  and  enjoys  a  mental  ease,  which  con- 
tribute not  a  little  to  his  efficiency.  —  Norton,  ^'  Retail  Selling  " 


EXERCISE  49  —  Oral  or  Written 

Give  expressions  that  seem  to  you  to  be  contrasted  with 
the  following  : 

hot  day  rebate  automobile 

green  door  bulletin  patronage 

wholesale  house  holiday  free  pass 

check  account  canal  cash  payment 


98  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

goods  on  credit  water  route  placed  on  file 

telephone  message  employer  Republican  party 

personal  letter  overdue  freshman  class 

EXERCISE  50  -  Oral 

Suggest  expressions  that  may  be  contrasted  with  the  following 

1.  Procrastination  is  ruination.  2.  Poor  as  a  church  mouse. 
3.  A  glutton  for  work.  4.  Slow  as  an  ox.  6.  Moving-picture 
theater.  6.  First  day  of  college.  7.  Your  account  is  always 
slow.    8.  A  well-trained  and  honest  employee. 

EXERCISE  51 

The  following  words  are  frequently  used  colloquially  with 
rather  indefinite  meaning.  Carefully  define  them  and  give, 
where  possible,  synonyms  and  antonyms. 

fine  guess  mighty  reckon 

clever  business  awful  good 

pretty  queer  terrible  smart 

61.  Homonyms.  Homonyms  are  words  having  the  same  pro- 
nunciation  but  different  meanings.  There  are  a  number  of  such 
words  in  English  which  we  are  apt  to  confuse  in  spelling  and 
meaning.  Examples  are  there  and  their  \  rite,  write,  right, 
and  wright ;  to  and  too.  There  are  also  a  very  large  number  of 
words  that  are  only  approximately  homonymic.  We  should 
distinguish  these  carefully  in  pronunciation.  Examples  are 
do  and  due ;    affect  and  effect, 

EXERCISE  52 

Give  homonyms  for  the  following  words : 

beau  way  loan  slight  not  pearl 

rain  done  hail  sew  fate  tale 

red  soar  road  no  wood  mean 

lead  sight  rough  great  shoot  stationery 

meet  wear  sail  see  peace  cash 

two  hair  mail  some  seed  in 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  99 

EXERCISE  53 

Rewrite  the  following  selection,  using  the  correct  words : 

A  rite  suite  little  boy,  the  sun  of  a  grate  kernel,  with  a  rough 
about  his  neck,  flue  up  the  rode  swift  as  eh  dear.  After  a  thyme 
he  stopped  at  a  gnu  house  and  wrang  the  belle.  His  tow  hurt 
hymn,  and  he  kneaded  wrest.  He  was  two  tired  to  raze  his  fare 
pail  face.  A  feint  mown  of  pane  rows  from  his  lips.  The  made 
who  herd  the  belle  was  about  to  pair  a  pare,  but  she  through  it 
down  and  ran  with  all  her  mite,  for  fear  her  guessed  wood  not 
weight.  Butt  when  she  saw  the  little  won,  tiers  stood  in  her  I's 
at  the  site.  *'Ewe  poor  deer!  Why  due  yew  lye  hear?  Are  yew 
dyeing  ?  "  **  Know,''  he  said,  "  I  am  feint  two  thee  corps."  She 
boar  him  inn  her  arms,  as  she  aught,  too  a  room  where  he  mite 
bee  quiet,  gave  him  bred  and  meet,  held  cent  under  his  knows, 
tied  his  choler,  rapped  him  warmly,  gave  him  a  suite  drachm 
from  a  viol,  till  at  last  he  went  fourth  hail  as  a  young  night. 
His  eyes  shown,  his  cheek  was  as  read  as  a  flour,  and  he 
gambled  a  hole  our.  —  Literary  Digest 

EXERCISE  54  —  Oral  and  Written 
Where   it    is   possible,    give   homonyms   for  the   following 
expressions : 

1.  Letters  of  the  alphabet :  as  i,  aye ;  b,  bee. 

2.  Ten  proper  names:  as  Ayer,  air;  Smith,  smith. 

3.  Forms  of  personal  pronouns :  as  /,  eye. 

EXERCISE  55  —  Oral  and  Written 
Find  homonyms  for  at  least  twelve  words  in  the  selection 
on  page  97.     Do  not  count  the  same  word  twice. 

EXERCISE  56 
With  the  aid  of  your  dictionary  distinguish  between  the  words 
that   are   homonyms  and  those   that   are  only  approximately 
homonyms. 

blue,  blew  ax,  acts  leak,  leek 

principal,  principle  cash,  cache  seen,  scene 


lOO  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

bear,  bare  boy,  buoy  stair,  stare 

caught,  cot  suit,  soot  accept,  except 

affect,  effect  suite,  sweet  •      tow,  toe 

shoo,  shoe  stock,  stalk  flew,  flue 

EXERCISE  57  —  Oral  and  Written 

1 .  Be  prepared  to  show  that  you  understand  the  meaning  of 
the  underlined  expressions  in  the  following  selection : 

Some  bond  dealers  are  loath  to  stock  up  their  shelves  with 
securities  in  view  of  the  approach  of  the  naturally  dull  period  of 
business  in  August.  This  serves  partly  to  explain  the  paucity  of 
security  offerings  now,  but  it  cannot  be  denied  that  a  larger  factor 
in  the  situation  is  the  remarkable  investment  absorption  which 
has  been  manifest  this  spring  and  summer.  An  unprecedented 
amount  of  new  securities  has  been  floated  this  year,  and  still 
there  is  no  apparent  evidence  that  they  have  been  a  glut  on  the 
market;  this  is  attested  by  the  large  number  of  new  emissions 
selling  at  a  premium  over  the  issue  price.  The  attractive 
equipment  loans  which  were  put  out  recently  on  a  7  per  cent 
basis  are  very  scarce  in  the  street,  and  bids  for  them  frequently 
elicit  no  offers.  These  are  a  security  of  the  highest  grade,  taking 
precedence  even  over  first  mortgage  bonds  and  ranking  as  a 
direct  charge  against  operating  expenses  of  the  road  issuing  them. 
The  $20,000,000  of  United  States  Rubber  7  J-  per  cent  ten-year 
notes,  brought  out  this  week  at  9 8 J,  have  been  all  sold,  and  a 
price  of  98;^  is  now  bid  for  them. 

2.  Avoiding  as  far  as  possible  the  use  of  technical  terms, 
give  the  substance  of  the  preceding  paragraph  so  that  a  person 
unacquainted  with  the  stock  miarket  would  be  likely  to  grasp 
your  meaning. 

EXERCISE  5S  — Oral 

Show  that  you  understand  the  following  terms  by  explaining 
the  circumstances  or  business  transactions  in  which  they  are 
likely  to  be  used : 

cost  plus  Liberty  Bonds 

time  and  a  half  for  overtime  credit  memorandum 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  loi 

bottom  price  i  cii^  ^C(^tirit         '  \'^  ^' ' 

up  to  specifications  .  ^  /  verbatim  report  ' 

commission  charges  ^,  ^  /^P^n  nccoyr^.^'  '  ^,f  I  '\\ 

to  go  to  protest  '      charges  collect  ' 
payable  in  New  York  exchange        outright  purchaser 

curb  market  special  delivery 

current  bid  price  common  stock 

collateral  value  •     net  price  of  stock 

62.  Figurative  language.  Business  language  is  filled  with 
picturesque  and  figurative  terms.  They  should  be  distinguished 
from  slang  and  other  objectionable  expressions. 

EXERCISE  59  —  Oral  or  Written 

1.  In  the  following  expressions  classify  {a)  those  justified 
by  good  use  in  business ;  {b)  those  not  justified  by  good  use : 

break  even  on  a  trade  made  a  killing 

up  against  a  dull  market  went  the  limit 

a  bear  market  long  on  Union  Pacific 

cutting  a  melon  a  pretty  plum 

onto  the  game  pool  his  interests 

a  plunge  corner  the  market 

feverish  prices  watered  stock 

in  on  the  ground  floor  to  beat  the  band 

hard  spot  stand  the  gaff 

2.  How  would  the  habitual  use  of  expressions  similar  to 
those  in  (b)  be  likely  to  affect  your  style  of  expression  ?  Where 
would  such  expressions  be  out  of  place  ? 

EXERCISE  60  —  Oral  or  Written 

Show  that  you  understand  the  following  terms  by  using 
them  in  sentences : 

advice  balance  account 

allowance  balance  sheet 

appraiser  blank  indorsement 

on  approval  cash  bonus 

power  of  attorney  certified  check 

auditor  full  indorsement 


I02 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


:^  EXERCISE  61 

I.,  Defirke  jeach  of  the  fcllowing  terms  : 
advise  discount  invoice  duplicate 


expend 


2.  Arrange  the 

words  below  in 

groups, 

having  the  words 

in  each  group  approximately  synonymous 

with  one  of  the  words 

you  have  defined  in 

I  I. 

3.  Explain  the  difference  in  meaning 

of  the  words  in  each 

group. 

tell 

agreement 

facsimile 

concession 

refund 

reimburse 

say 

stipulation 

acknowledge 

inform 

assert 

deprecate 

pay 

indemnify 

depreciate 

allowance 

copy 

bill  of  lading 

statement 

transcript 

replica 

state 

bargain 

forgery 

rebate 

promissory  note 

publish 

contract 

below  par 

disburse 

63.  A  study  of  words.     Distinguish  carefully  between  the 
meanings  of  the  following  verbs  : 

accredit  (to  give  authority  or  credit  to) ;  credit  (to  believe ;  to 
enter  on  the  credit  side,  as  in  bookkeeping). 

affect  (to  act  upon)  ;  effect  (to  bring  about). 

allow  (to  permit  or  concede) ;  guess  (to  form  an  opinion  with- 
out sufficient  reason) ;  think  (to  ponder ;  to  have  an 
opinion). 

assert  (to  state  positively,  often  of  a  right  or  privilege) ;  claim 
(to  demand  as  a  right ;  to  assert  as  a  fact  or  right)  ;  declare 
(to  state  openly). 

bring  (to  convey  to  the  place  where  the  speaker  is  or  is  to  be) ; 
fetch  (to  go  and  bring  to  the  speaker) ;  carry  (to  convey 
from  one  place  to  another). 

Bring  me  that  book  that  you  are  using. 

Please  ^/^A  me  the  book  that  I  left  in  the  other  room. 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  103 

calculate  (to  "estimate  mathematically");  intend  (to  purpose; 
to  have  an  intention). 

can  (implies  ability  to  do);  may  (implies  the  possibility  of  doing 
or  permission  to  do). 

comprehend  (to  grasp  the  meaning);  understand  (to  know, 
sometimes  by  experience).  Understand  is  a  word  of  wider 
meaning  than  comprehend. 

conceal  (to  hide) ;  disguise  (to  make  appear  as  something  else). 

depreciate  (to  lower  the  value  of) ;  deprecate  (to  speak  against)  ; 
disparage  (to  dishonor  by  means  of  comparison). 

discover  (to  find  what  previously  existed) ;  invent  (to  create  by 
a  new  use  or  combination  of  means). 

excuse,  pardon.  Pardon  is  the  stronger  word.  We  excuse  an 
error  diXid  pardon  a  serious  offense. 

expect  (to  look  forward  to,  usually  with  confidence) ;  suppose 
(to  represent  to  the  mind  as  real,  something  that  has  not 
been  verified). 

fluctuate  (to  move  irregularly  back  and  forth  when  acted  upon)  ; 
vacillate  (of  persons  only,  to  move  without  any  settled  pur- 
pose) ;  vary  (to  change) ;  waver  (to  move  to  and  fro ;  to 
hesitate  when  in  danger  or  to  shrink  from  facing  difficulty). 

EXERCISE  62  —  Oral  or  Written 

In   sentences  of  your  own  illustrate  the  use  of  the  words 
defined  above. 

EXERCISE  63 

1.  With  the  help  of  your  dictionary  be  ready  to  define  the 
following  words.    Use  each  in  a  sentence. 

should,  would  (p.  49)  learn,  teach 

shall,  will  (p.  47)  lease,  hire 

happen,  transpire  stop,  stay 

repay,  satisfy  expect,  suppose 

2.  In  studying  the  following  words,  distinguish  between  the 
transitive  and  intransitive  verbs. 

lay       lie  raise       rise  set       sit 


I04  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  64  -  Oral 

Study  carefully  the  meaning  of  the  italicized  words  in  the 
following  paragraph.  Be  sure  that  you  can  tell  what  part  of 
speech  each  word  is. 

Unless  you  agree  to  go  without  Eldridge,  I  cannot  accept  your 
invitation.  He  is  a  very  shrewd  man,  but  his  reputation  is,  to 
my  way  of  thinking,  somewhat  tarnished,  and  almost  anybody 
except  him  would  be  under  no  delusion  regarding  his  real 
standing  in  this  town.  Most  people  might  think  it  quite  right 
among  acquaintances  to  overlook  his  faults,  and  I  do  partly^ 
but  between  you  and  me,  Eldridge  is  an  example  of  the  man  who 
is  wholly  unable  to  distinguish  between  what  is  almost  right  . 
and  what  is  entirely  right  in  business  dealings.  I  am  somewhat 
inclined  to  like  him  for  his  pleasing  personality,  but  he  is  not 
reliable.  You  are  really  suffering,  yourself,  from  an  illusion  when 
you  think  you  see  in  him  a  man  whose  company  will  benefit  you. 

EXERCISE  65 

Construct  sentences  which  will  show  clearly  that  you  under- 
stand the  meaning  and  use  of  the  italicized  words  in  Exercise  64. 

64.  Choice  of  effective  words  and  phrases.  It  should  be  par- 
ticularly noted  that  there  are  in  the  English  language  many 
expressions  which  have  lost  their  savor  through  overuse.  There 
are  others  that  are  so  formal  or  stilted  that  no  vivid  impression 
may  be  derived  from  them.  An  example  of  a  threadbare  phrase 
is  ''to  teach  the  young  idea  how  to  shoot."  When  Thomson 
first  used  this,  he  pleased  the  world  with  the  aptness  of  the 
figure ;  but  a  century  and  more  of  repetition  has  worn  off  the 
original  sparkle  and  left  the  saying  with  no  more  brilliancy  than 
the  surface  of  a  lump  of  lead.  An  example  of  a  stilted,  formal 
expression  is  the  all  too  common  ''  I  beg  leave  to  acknowledge 
receipt  of  your  valued  favor  of  the  fifteenth  instant."  Simply 
compare  the  statement  with  "  I  was  pleased  to  receive  your 
letter  of  January  15  "  and  you  will  see  why  the  first  style  of 
phraseology  is  objectionable. 


-^;.I^M 


SPELLING  AND  THE  USE  OF  WORDS  105 

EXERCISE  66 

Try  to  find  the  origin  of  the  expressions  given  below.  Explain 
the  meaning  of  each  and  give  it  in  your  own  words.  Tell  why 
you  consider  your  own  way  of  putting  the  ideas  more  or  less 
suitable  for  ordinary  writing  or  conversation. 

Truth  is  stranger  than  fiction. 

Teach  the  young  idea  how  to  shoot. 

Method  in  his  madness. 

Auld  lang  syne. 

A  little  learning  is  a  dangerous  thing. 

Brevity  is  the  soul  of  wit. 

The  pen  is  mightier  than  the  sword. 

Make  hay  while  the  sun  shines. 

A  jack  of  all  trades  is  master  of  none. 

EXERCISE  67 

The  following  expressions  are  trite ;  that  is,  they  have  been 
used  so  often  that  their  original  effectiveness  is  lost,  (i)  Use 
each  expression  in  a  sentence.  (2)  Rewrite  the  sentences, 
avoiding  the  trite  expressions. 

all  too  soon 

those  present 

in  evidence 

was  the  recipient  of 

doomed  to  disappointment 

all  in  all 

in  this  connection 

it  goes  without  saying 

untiring  efforts 

replete  with  interest 

along  these  lines 

as  luck  would  have  it 

in  touch  with 

each  and  every 

order  out  of  chaos 

token  of  our  esteem 


lo6  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

absolutely  new  creation 
last  but  not  least 
abreast  of  the  times 
exception  proves  the  rule 
way,  shape,  or  manner 

EXERCISE  68 

The  expressions  given  below  are  often  seen  in  business  writ- 
ing. All  of  them  are,  however,  objectionable.  The  fault  common 
to  them  all  is  stilted  formality,  but  many  of  them  are  best  avoided 
for  other  reasons  also.  Explain  your  objections  to  each  and 
rewrite  them,  using  language  that  is  accurate,  clear,  and  concise. 

I  am  in  receipt  of  your  favor  of  recent  date  and  in  reply 
beg  leave  to  advise. 

Yours  of  17  th  inst.  to  hand  and  contents  noted. 

Your  esteemed  favor. 

In  reply  to  your  advice  we  beg  to  state. 

Inclosed  please  find  herewith  our  personal  check. 

Dictated  but  not  read. 

Thanking  you  in  advance. 

Hoping  that  you  will  favor  us  with  your  continued  patronage. 

Awaiting  your  favorable  reply. 

Trusting  that  you  will  give  to  my  application  a  favorable 
consideration. 


CHAPTER  V 

I.   THE  FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC 

65.  Definition  of  composition.  Composition  is  the  art  of  giving 
ideas  suitable  expression.  In  the  introductory  chapter  it  has  been 
shown  how  important  it  is  that  the  business  man  should  be  able 
to  speak  and  write  correctly.  Every  time  he  speaks  or  writes 
he  is  making  a  composition.  When  a  grocer  has  told  a  customer 
about  the  good  qualities  of  a  brand  of  coffee,  or  when  he  has 
written  a  letter  ordering  a  carload  of  flour,  he  has  produced 
a  composition  just  as  real  as  the  ''  Gettysburg  Address  "•  or 
"A  Psalm  of  Life." 

66.  Comparison  of  grammar  and  rhetoric.  In  a  preceding 
chapter  it  has  been  shown  that  the  business  of  grammar  **  is  to 
ascertain  and  set  forth  those  customs  of  language  which  have 
the  sanction  of  good  usage."  Grammar  deals  with  the  correct 
forms  and  constructions  of  words.  For  example,  the  first  per- 
sonal pronoun  has  several  forms,  /,  me,  etc.,  and  it  was  shown 
that  /  must  always  be  in  the  nominative  case  and  me  in  the 
objective  case.  From  information  of  this  kind  the  student  has 
learned  why  it  is  incorrect  to  use  such  an  expression  as  "Who 
did  that .?  Me  "  or  "  between  you  and  I,"  and  why  it  is  correct 
to  say,  ''Who  did  that.?  I  "  and  ''between  you  and  me." 

But  the  art  of  rhetoric  shows  us  that  there  is  something  fur- 
ther to  learn  about  the  correct  use  of  language.  A  sentence  may 
be  correct  from  the  standpoint  of  grammar  and  yet  be  unsatis- 
factory from  the  standpoint  of  rhetoric.  The  sentence  "  I  saw 
the  two  twins"  is  grammatically  correct,  but  the  science  of  rhet- 
oric makes  clear  why  two  is  unnecessary,  its  meaning  being 
implied  in  twms.  "  I  saw  the  twins  "  is  a  better  way  of  expressing 
the  idea. 

107 


I08  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


EXERCISE  1 


Classify  the  errors  in  the  following  sentences  as  grammatical 
or  rhetorical  errors.    Correct  the  sentences. 

1.  Do  not  telephone  without  definite  orders  to  the  express 
company. 

2.  The  Central  Pacific  Railway  Company  have  instructed  their 
station  masters  to  accept  no  perishable  freight. 

3.  We  have  just  issued  a  pamphlet  dealing  with  United  States 
Government  Bonds  which  we  will  send  you  on  request. 

4.  He  had  his  pay  raised  on  January  the  first. 

5.  You  will  find  inclosed  herewith  my  personal  check  for  $250. 

6.  Where  have  you  lain  my  ruler  ? 

7.  Will  I  call  him  to  the  telephone  ? 

8.  Can  I  borrow  a  pencil  ^of  you  ? 

67.  Rhetoric  a  practical  study.  What  has  been  said  pre- 
viously in  this  chapter  should  make  plain  how  very  practical  it 
is  to  have  a  ready  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  rhetoric. 
Everything  that  we  speak  or  write  must  conform,  if  it  is  well 
expressed,  to  the  principles  of  rhetoric.  This  is  because  these 
principles  are  really  natural  laws,  not  arbitrarily  drawn  up  by  a 
few  scholars  but  based  on  the  experience  of  centuries.  The 
principles,  or  laws,  of  composition  are  simply  a  kind  of  summing 
up  of  all  that  is  known  about  the  art  of  writing  or  speaking. 

68.  Kinds  of  composition.  A  composition  may  consist  of 
(i)  one  sentence,  (2)  one  paragraph,  (3)  two  or  more  connected 
paragraphs. 

69.  Fundamental  qualities.  Four  fundamental  qualities  are 
required  in  every  well-expressed  composition,  irrespective  of  the 
subject,  manner  of  treatment,  or  length  of  statement.  In  any 
composition  (i)  one  main  idea  only  should  be  expressed,  (2)  the 
thoughts  should  be  well  arranged,  (3)  each  thought  should  be 
given  the  force  that  its  importance  warrants,  (4)  the  language 
should  be  pleasing  to  the  ear  and,  if  written,  to  the  eye  also. 
In  other  words,  a  composition  should  have  four  fundamental 
qualities :   Unity ^   Coherence y  Emphasis ,  and  Euphony, 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      109 

70.  Unity.  Unity  is  that  quality  of  a  composition  which 
requires  that  it  shall  contain  only  one  main  idea.  For  example, 
the  primary  aim  of  a  letter  of  application  is  to  secure  an  inter- 
view for  the  applicant.  Everything  in  the  letter  must  lead  to 
that.  A  sales  letter  aims  to  induce  action.  Every  point  it  raises 
should  increase  the  reader's  desire  to  do  something :  write  a 
letter,  sign  his  name  on  a  postal  card,  send  a  check,  or  do 
whatever  the  seller  has  in  mind.  Unity  avoids  distraction.  If 
your  letter  does  not  have  this  quality,  you  have  failed  to  express 
yourself  clearly. 

So  essential  is  unity  to  the  effectiveness  of  business  writing 
that  some  correspondence  supervisors  claim  that  two  subjects 
should  never  be  discussed  in  the  same  letter.  They  say,  for 
example,  that  if  you  wish  to  pay  a  bill  and  order  a  stove  at 
the  same  time,  you  should  write  two  letters.  It  is  probably 
unwise  to  lay  down  any  such  absolute  rule,  but  it  is  well  to 
remember  that  (i)  we  can  fix  our  attention  on  (do  or  think  of) 
just  one  thing  at  a  time,  and  that  (2)  many  oversights  are  due 
to  the  practice  of  putting  two  or  more  messages  into  one  letter. 

Unity  may  be  obtained  by  (i)  clear  thinking  (knowing 
exactly  what  you  wish  to  say),  (2)  avoidance  of  parenthetical 
expressions  or  explanations,  (3)  frequent  reference  to  the  exact 
end  in  view. 

EXERCISE  2 

From  the  paragraphs  below  select  the  one  which  shows  the 
greatest  unity  and  the  one  which  shows  the  least.  Be  ready 
to  defend  your  choice. 

A  man  who  has  friends  must  show  himself  friendly.  A  friend 
is  an  inexplicable  gift,  a  mystery  and  sacred  reality.  Ambition 
has  no  friends  and  genius  wants  few.  ''  May  you  outlive  your 
friends!"  was  the  dreadful  Roman  curse.  Our  friends  early 
appear  to  us  as  representative  of  certain  ideas,  which  they  never 
pass  or  exceed.  In  1656  Friends  first  visited  America.  At  least 
one  friend  is  essential  to  true  living,  but  a  multiplicity  of  friends 
is  not  only  unessential  —  it  is  impossible. 


no  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

What  are  the  qualities  which  attract  and  win  friends  ?  It  has 
been  well  said  that  *'  the  way  to  have  a  friend  is  to  be  one,"  or, 
applying  the  idea  to  salesmanship,  the  way  to  make  customers 
friendly  is  to  show  a  spirit  of  friendliness  toward  them.  As  a 
salesman  approaches  a  customer  he  gives  evidence  of  this  spirit 
by  certain  outward  signs :  a  qmck  forward  step ;  a  slight  nod 
or  bow ;  a  smile,  or  at  least  a  friendly,  encouraging  expression ; 
often  a  word  of  greeting.  A  personal  connection  is  thus  made 
and  the  way  opened  for  formal  business. 

If  you  are  merely  polite,  you  are  simply  following  the  usages 
of  society.  Politeness  is  an  artificial  polish.  Courtesy  is  the  soul 
of  that  polish.  To  cultivate  courtesy,  guard  against  letting  your 
actions  become  mechanical.  Make  it  a  habit  to  do  one  kindly 
action  each  day,  and  do  it  as  early  in  the  day  as  possible.  Do 
not  expect  courteous  treatment  in  return.  Neither  let  discourtesy 
in  customers  be  an  excuse  for  a  lack  of  courtesy  in  yourself.  In 
the  final  analysis  it  is  the  customers  who  pay  the  wages.  They 
are  the  real  boss,  and  if  you  offend  the  real  boss,  even  when  he 
is  in  the  wrong,  you  are  playing  dangerous  experiments  with 
your  pay  envelope.  Remember  that  in  a  deep  sense  it  is  impos- 
sible to  be  insulted.  A  gentleman  never  would  insult  you  and 
no  one  else  can.  Always  be  courteous  for  your  own  sake.  As 
your  actions  are,  so  are  you.  You  can  expect  only  a  grunt  from 
a  pig,  but  if  a  pig  grunts  at  you,  it  is  no  reason  why  you  should 
grunt  in  reply.    Don't  be  a  pig. 

The  negative  of  courtesy  is  discourtesy,  which  is  rudeness, 
disrespect. 

71.  Coherence.  Coherence  is  that  quality  of  a  composition  which 
requires  that  its  ideas  shall  he  well  arranged.  It  demands  good 
order.    ''Everything  in  its  place*'  is  its  watchword. 

Recently  I  saw  on  a  farm  a  collection  of  carpenter's  tools  — 
good  tools,  trade-marked  —  all  jumbled  up  in  a  chest.  To  get  a 
hatchet,  the  farmer  had  to  pull  out  a  saw  or  two  and  very  prob- 
ably a  chisel,  usually  dulling  the  edge  of  something  or  nicking 
his  finger  as  he  fumbled  about.  Any  tool  he  v/anted  always 
seemed  to  be  under  everything  else.  I  took  a  few  cleats  and 
hooks  and    arranged    the  contents  of   the  chest  so   that  the 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      in 

hammer  and  monkey  wrench  were  right  at  hand,  as  they  should 
be.  Everything  else  was  at  least  accessible.  What  is  more,  the 
owner  of  the  collection  declared  that  he  had  just  twice  as  many 
tools  as  he  used  to  have. 

The  moral  of  this  tool  box  may  be  applied  to  expression. 
It  is  not  sufficient  to  have  good  ideas;  they  must  be  well 
arranged.  The  important  thoughts  must  not  be  buried  under 
a  mass  of  secondary  ideas. 

Coherence  is  as  necessary  to  composition  as  is  unity.  The 
thousand  and  one  parts  of  a  perfectly  good  automobile  may 
be  piled  in  a  heap  with  not  a  bolt  missing,  but  the  mass 
would  not  be  a  machine  until  careful  assemblage  had  put  every 
part  in  its  place.  One  bolt  in  the  wrong  hole  might  keep  the 
auto  from  moving.  One  sentence  out  of  place  might  destroy 
the  effectiveness  of  a  paragraph. 

Coherence  may  be  obtained  by  arrangement  of  ideas  (i)  in 
a  space  order,  (2)  in  a  time  order,  (3)  according  to  cause  and 
effect. 

Coherence  is  also  aided  by  the  use  of  connective  words, 
phrases,  sentences,  or  paragraphs. 


EXERCISE  3 

The  underlined  words  and  phrases  add  much  to  the  coherence 
of  the  selection  and  letter  given  below.  Name  each  underlined 
word  as  a  part  of  speech.  What  parts  of  speech  seem  to  be  used 
frequently  as  connectives  ?  What  is  the  difference  in  meaning 
between  <^  in  ''a  young  fellow  "  and  t^e  in  ''  the  young  man  "  ? 
In  what  order  are  most  of  the  ideas  arranged  ? 

The  young  man  attempting  to  choose  a  vocation  rarely  takes 
himself  mX.o  serious  consideration.  As  a  rule  he  is  thinking  only 
of  the  vocation  as  an  abstract  thing,  looking  at  it  as  a  means  of 
.  gaining  wealth,  honor,  or  position.  He  sees  other  people  making 
a  success  in  that  vocation,  and  as  they  have  done  well  he  imag- 
ines that  he  too^ould  like  to  do  the  same  kind  of  work. —  Davis 


112  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Jameson  Memorial  University 

Jameson,  Tennessee 


October  11,  19-- 
Mrs.  N.  P.  Waters 

Richmond,  Virginia 

My  dear  Mrs.  Waters: 

Something  happened  here  this  morning  that  I  want  you 
to  know. 

About  nine  o'clock  a  young  fellow  swung  on  to  the  campus 
with  a  long-legged  stride  that  would  have  been  astonishing 
anywhere  else.   He  had  come  a  hundred  miles  from  his  home  in 
the  mountains  of  North  Carolina. 

I  turned  him  over  to  Dean  Stuart,  but  I  listened  to  the 
conversation.   He  had  brought  with  him  the  sum  of  just  $10. — 
no  more,  —  all  he  had  on  earth.   The  dean  told  him  that  it  was 
hard  to  know  what  to  do  with  him,  and  explained  as  kindly  as 
he  could  that  all  our  rooms  were  occupied. 

I  looked  at  the  young  man;  he  never  flinched;  he  smiled, 
confidently  faced  us  both,  clear-eyed,  and  steady,  and  this  is 
what  he  said:  "Dean.  I  didn't  come  here  to  get  a  room  or  to  get 
a  bed;  I  came  to  get  an  education.   I  can  sleep  on  the  floor." 

There  was  no  answer  to  that.   At  least  neither  the  dean 
nor  I  could  think  of  one,  and  we  simply  made  a  place  for  him; 
we  had  to.   We  cannot  refuse  that  sort,  and  we  will  not  do  it 
as  long  as  there  is  a  dollar  In  sight. 

These  boys  are  the  salt  of  the  earth—  big,  strong,  up- 
standing fellows:  old  revolutionary  stock,  most  of  them  moun- 
tain born;  fearless,  quiet,  loyal,  high-principled,  and  clean. 
They  must  have  help.   They  need  _it_  and  they  deserve  2JL.   The 
sum  of  $25,000  is  required  at  once  for  the  actual  current  ex- 
penses of  the  year.   We  must  have  that  amount  at  hand  or  in 
prospect  at  an  early  day. 

We  are  asking  not  only  because  the  money  Is  needed  for  the 
great  work  that  we  are  doing  but  because  it  Is  right  that  you 
should  have  an  opportunity  to  give  if  you  can.   Your  gift  may 
make  the  difference  between  a  life  of  ignorance  and  a  life  of 
knowledge  to  some  mountain  boy. 

Our  work  is  filled  with  lofty  purposes,  but  its  effective- 
ness is  almost  entirely  a  question  of  money.   Will  you  help 
us  now? 

Sincerely  yours, 

PQU  cJ^k&vicLa/yv   cP.    S'c£^i^aAy(day^    President 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC     1 13 

72.  Emphasis.  Emphasis  is  that  quality  of  a  composition  which 
requires  that  each  idea  shall  be  given  force  appropriate  to  its  im- 
portance.  Emphasis  is  all-important  in  business  writing.  It  places 
the  idea  before  the  reader  in  such  a  way  that  he  must  attend  to  it. 
Emphasis  is  the  red  ink,  the  italics,  the  nota  dene,  of  expression. 

This  quality  is  not  always  easily  obtained  and  often  comes 
indirectly.  The  rampant  orator,  sawing  the  air  and  shouting 
himself  hoarse,  may  leave  less  impression  on  his  audience  than 
does  the  quiet  speaker  who  in  a  calm,  conversational  tone  drives 
home  his  points  with  well-chosen  and  well-arranged  remarks. 
The  *'  still  small  voice  "  was  the  voice  of  power.  So  in  writing, 
simple,  straightforward  expression  is  usually  most  effective. 

Unusual  expressions,  red  ink,  underlining  of  words,  italics, 
capitalization,  and  drawings  have  all  a  legitimate  part  in  impress- 
ing the  reader ;  but  belief  in  your  ideas,  careful  thought,  and 
everyday  language  will  in  most  cases  make  the  best  impression. 

There  are  six  important  ways  in  which  an  idea  may  be 
emphasized  : 

1 .  By  giving  it  large  space,  —  saying  much  about  it. 

2.  By  placing  it  at  the  beginning,  — talking  about  it  first. 

3.  By  placing  it  at  the  close,  —  using  it  as  a  conclusion. 

4.  By  placing  it  in  an  unusual  position,  —  giving  it  novelty. 

5 .  By  repetition,  —  making  it  echo  and  reecho. 

6.  By  the  use  of  an  unusually  apt  expression. 

EXERCISE  4 

1.  Re-read  the  letter  on  page  112. 

2.  Do  you  think  the  letter  emphatic  ? 

3.  Is  the  first  sentence  a  forcible  beginning?  Give  reasons 
for  your  answer. 

4.  Does  the  last  paragraph  add  to  the  force  of  the  appeal,  or 
should  you  prefer  to  end  the  letter  with  the  preceding  paragraph? 

5.  At  least  half  the  letter  is  devoted  to  the  case  of  one  boy. 
Can  you  justify  giving  so  much  space  to  this  topic  ? 

6.  Note  any  words  or  expressions  that  seem  to  you  emphatic. 


114  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  5 

1 .  What  idea  is  especially  emphasized  in  the  following  para- 
graph ?  How  is  emphasis  secured  ? 

A  long  time  ago,  before  New  York  and  Chicago  were  dis- 
covered, there  lived  an  alchemist  who  sold  an  unfailing  prescrip- 
tion for  making  gold  from  eggs.  He  sold  it  at  a  high  price  on 
a  contract  that  he  was  to  refund  the  whole  sum  in  case  the 
prescription  was  carried  through  and  did  not  yield  the  promised 
result.  It  is  said  that  he  never  broke  his  contract  and  became 
a  very  rich  man.  His  prescription  was  that  the  gold-seeker 
should  hold  a  pan  over  the  fire  with  the  yolks  of  a  dozen  eggs 
in  it  and  stir  them  for  half  an  hour  without  ever  thinking  of  the 
word  hippopotamus.  Many  thousands  tried,  and  yet  no  one 
succeeded.  The  fatal  word,  which  they  had  never  thought  of 
before,  now  unfortunately  always  rushed  into  their  minds,  and 
the  more  they  tried  to  suppress  it,  the  more  it  was  present. 

2.  Suppose  that  the  preceding  paragraph  had  ended  in  some 

such  manner  as  this  :  *'  The  moral  of  the  story  is ." 

How  would  you  complete  the  sentence  t 

3.  Write  a  paragraph  to  illustrate  forcibly  what  you  consider 
to  be  the  point  or  moral  of  the  selection  in  i. 

EXERCISE  6 

In  six  statements  give  six  ways  of  expressing  the  point  in  the 
following  sentence  that  you  consider  worthy  of  most  emphasis. 
Consult  the  suggestions  listed  on  page  113. 

Whatever  may  have  been  true  in  the  past,  there  is  no  doubt 
that  today  industrial  conditions  favor  the  educated  man. 

73.  Euphony.  Euphony  may  be  defined  as  that  quality  of  a 
composition  which  gives  it  a  pleasing  sound.  Connected  paragraphs, 
sentences  in  a  paragraph,  and  words  in  a  sentence  have  each  a 
relation  in  sound  as  well  as  in  sense.  Many  of  the  masterpieces 
of  literature  owe  a  large  part  of  their  reputation  to  the  way  they 
sound.  Much  of  the  popularity  of  Lincoln's  "  Gettysburg 
Address  "  is  due  to  the  harmonious  relation  of  its  sentences,  — 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      115 

to  the  pleasing  variation  of  length  and  structure.  Most  proverbs 
and  popular  quotations  are  a  combination  of  words  that  sound 
well,  and  many  advertisements  that  are  known  all  over  the 
country  owe  their  popularity  as  much  to  a  pleasing  combination 
of  sounds  as  to  solid  arguments. 

You  will  find,  however,  that  the  study  of  euphony  in  para- 
graphs or  connected  paragraphs  is  extremely  difficult. 

Milton's  sounding  lines  and  the  rolling  periods  of  Daniel 
Webster  have  a  rhythm  that  somehow  seems  naturally  to  charm 
without  much  relation  to  the  meaning  expressed,  but  the  use  of 
such  styles  does  not  harmonize  with  the  atmosphere  of  business. 
You  should  read  such  great  classic  masters  of  expression,  but 
any  attempt  to  imitate  them  —  even  if  you  remotely  could  — 
would  certainly  be  fatal  to  your  commercial  correspondence. 
As  a  practical  fact  euphony  for  everyday  use  is  largely  satisfied 
with  telling  us  what  not  to  do : 

1 .  Avoid  a  repetition  of  words  that  sound  the  same. 

2.  Avoid  a  succession  of  words  of  one  syllable. 

If  we  think  of  euphony,  or  rather  harmony,  as  a  matter  of 
mechanics,  we  find  that  it  may  be  destroyed  by  (i)  poor  or  un- 
suitable ink  or  stationery;  (2)  faulty  penmanship,  typewriting, 
or  printing  ;  (3)  glaring  headlines,  irregular  margins,  inadequate 
spacings,  and  the  like. 

EXERCISE  7 

Choose  from  the  paragraphs  below  (i)  one  which  seems  to 
you  to  have  a  style  well  suited  for  business  writing,  (2)  one 
poorly  suited  for  business  writing.  Apart  from  the  subject 
matter,  which  one  pleases  you  the  best?    Why.? 

The  New  England  Mica  Company  sent  you  an  announce- 
ment three  weeks  ago  that  it  had  begun  the  manufacture  of 
high-grade  mica  tubing.  The  announcement  told  our  friends 
that  Mr.  John  G.  Davidson  and  I  had  gone  into  the  mica  busi- 
ness and  had  severed  our  connection  with  the  George  L.  Smith 
Corporation. 


Ii6  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Young  Mr.  Pottinger,  and  no  doubt  you  personally,  know  of 
our  relations  to  the  George  L.  Smith  concern  and  of  our  recom- 
mendations intended  to  put  the  order  department  on  a  modern 
basis.  It  is  not  worth  while  for  me  to  go  into  the  details  of  just 
why  Mr.  Davidson  and  I  have  gone  into  the  mica  field  on  our  own 
account.  I  should  like  to  recall,  however,  that  Mr.  Pottinger 
not  only  frequently  expressed  a  wish  that  we  should  make  such 
a  venture  but  said  that  your  people  might  be  willing  to  stand 
behind  us  financially. 

We  have  ourselves  been  able  to  complete  a  modern  factory, 
and  we  have  acquired  a  holding  of  a  high-grade  mica  deposit  in 
Labrador.    Our  slogan :  The  Best  Quality  Delivered  on  Time. 

Your  influence  and  name  can  be  of  inestimable  value  to  us 
at  this  moment.  We  must  have  a  live  connection  in  the  Middle 
West,  and  we  feel  sure  that  if  we  can  establish  such  a  hold, 
the  quality  of  our  mica  and  our  facilities  for  delivery  will  clinch 
our  opportunity. 

An  order  from  you  will  receive  our  immediate  attention. 

Gentlemen  :  Fred  Clark  told  us  about  the  personal  discussion 
he  started  when  he  was  in  your  store  last  October.  As  I  got  the 
story,  Mr.  Smith  maintained  that  not  more  than  five  per  cent 
of  your  patrons  were  women.  And  Mr.  Newman  inclined  to 
the  opinion  that  fully  20  per  cent  were  either  women  or  men 
who  had  been  sent  in  to  make  a  purchase  by  the  wife  at  home. 

Fred  told  me  that  he  thought  Mr.  Newman's  estimate  was 
about  as  you  would  find  it  if  you  checked  up  your  trade  care- 
fully for  a  month  or  so.  He  said  that  you  were  going  to  keep 
such  a  check  on  customers  for  the  month  of  December  and  let 
me  know  the  results. 

But  we  haven't  heard  a  thing  from  you  regarding  this  test. 
I  am  particularly  interested  because  we  have  several  retailers  in 
the  West  who  are  keeping  these  data.  I  have  been  trying  for  a 
number  of  years  to  get  an  accurate  estimate  of  the  percentage 
of  women  purchasers  in  our  trade. 

If  you  have  kept  these  data  I  wish  you  would  send  me  the 
percentages.  I  know  Mr.  Smith  will  not  attempt  to  hold  back, 
even  if  he  did  fall  short  in  his  estimate. 

Clark  is  now  in  Connecticut.  He  reports  that  the  retail  trade 
there  is  particularly  good. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      117 

If  the  sample  of  weather  we've  been  having  lately  is  any- 
thing like  what  it  is  up  your  way,  trade  ought  to  be  brisk  on 
those  7-C  Ideals  you  ordered  in  September. 

Cordially  yours, 

Fourscore  and  seven  years  ago  our  fathers  brought  forth 
upon  this  continent  a  new  nation,  conceived  in  liberty,  and 
dedicated  to  the  proposition  that  all  men  are  created  equal. 
Now  we  are  engaged  in  a  great  civil  war,  testing  whether  that 
nation,  or  any  nation  so  conceived  and  so  dedicated,  can  long 
endure.  We  are  met  on  a  great  battle-field  of  that  war.  We 
have  come  to  dedicate  a  portion  of  that  field  as  a  final  resting- 
place  for  those  who  here  gave  their  lives  that  that  nation  might 
live.  It  is  altogether  fitting  and  proper  that  we  should  do  this ; 
but  in  a  larger  sense  we  cannot  dedicate,  we  cannot  consecrate, 
we  cannot  hallow  this  ground.  The  brave  men,  living  and  dead, 
who  struggled  here,  have  consecrated  it  far  above  our  poor 
power  to  add  or  detract.  The  world  will  little  note,  nor  long 
remember,  what  we  say  here,  but  it  can  never  forgdt  what  they 
did  here.  It  is  for  us  — the  living  —  rather  to  be  dedicated 
here  to  the  unfinished  work  which  they  who  fought  here  have 
thus  far  so  nobly  advanced.  It  is  rather  for  us  to  be  here 
dedicated  to  the  great  task  remaining  before  us,  that  from  these 
honored  dead  we  take  increased  devotion  to  that  cause  for  which 
they  gave  the  last  full  measure  of  devotion  ;  that  we  here  highly 
resolve  that  these  dead  shall  not  have  died  in  vain;  that  this 
nation,  under  God,  shall  have  a  new.  birth  of  freedom,  and  that 
government  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  and  for  the  people,, 
shallnotperishfrom  the  earth. — Lincoln,  "Gettysburg Address" 


II.  APPLICATION  OF  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC 

In  the  rest  of  this  chapter  the  principles  of  expression  are 
applied  to  a  sentence,  a  paragraph,  or  a  group  of  connected 
paragraphs.  The  essential  qualities  of  the  single  sentence  are 
considered  first,  as  it  is  the  smallest  unit  that  gives  sufficient 
scope  for  illustrating  the  great  laws  of  good  composition.  It 
also  furnishes  the  beginner  with  suitable  exercises  in  writing. 


Il8  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


THE   SENTENCE 


74.  Unity  in  the  sentence.  A  sentence  should  contain  only 
one  leading  idea. 

As  a  simple  sentence  contains  only  one  statement,  its  unity  is 
involved  in  its  form. 

I  am  in  receipt  of  your  letter. 

A  complex  sentence  has  only  one  main  statement,  which  is  the 
independent  clause.  The  subordinate  statements  are  expressed 
in  the  dependent  clauses.  It  follows  from  the  form  of  a  com- 
plex sentence  that  it  is  a  natural  unit. 

/  wi/l  give  immediate  attention  to  the  accounts  ^  which  you 
have  mentioned  in  your  letter. 

75.  The  run-on  sentence.  A  common  error  in  the  construc- 
tion of  complex  sentences  is  to  have  so  many  subordinate  clauses 
that  the  force  of  the  main  statement  is  weakened  or  destroyed. 
This  error  is  sometimes  called  the  "  run-on  '*  sentence.  The 
following  is  an  example : 

We  have  your  telegram  of  March  30,  which  instructs  us  to 
purchase  for  your  account  25  First  National  Copper,  which  we 
have  filled  today  at  105I. 

There  are  several  ways  in  which  this  statement  may  be  improved. 
It  may  be  divided  into  two  separate  sentences,  or  one  of  the 
dependent  clauses  may  be  reduced  to  a  phrase.  The  following 
sentences  will  illustrate  these  methods : 

We  have  your  telegram  of  March  20,  which  instructs  us  to 
purchase  for  your  account  25  First  National  Copper.  We  have 
today  filled  your  order  at  105I. 

We  have  your  telegram  of  March  20,  instructing  us  to  pur- 
chase for  your  account  25  First  National  Copper,  which  order 
we  have  today  filled  at  io5f. 

1  The  italicized  words  are  the  independent  clause  and  contain  the  main  idea. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      119 

76.  The  main  idea.  A  compound  sentence  contains  at  least 
two  independent  clauses,  and  it  may  contain  several  These  clauses 
are  grammatically  equal  in  value,  but  they  are  all  subordinate 
to  some  leading  idea  implied  in  the  whole  sentence. 

We  acknowledge  with  thanks  your  remittance  of  January  6, 
and  we  now  return  your  December  bill,  which  we  have  receipted 
after  deducting  for  waist,  gloves,  and  account  rendered  of 
75  cents. 

The  leading  idea  that  is  implied  in  the  preceding  sentence 
is  that  the  firm  wishes  to  state  that  the  customer's  account  is 
settled  to  date. 

The  unity  of  a  complex  sentence  is  more  easily  maintained 
than  that  of  a  compound  sentence.  Often  a  compound  sentence 
that  lacks  unity  may  be  improved  by  being  thrown  into  the 
form  of  a  complex  sentence.  The  ideas  in  the  clauses  of  the 
following  compound  sentence  are  not  of  equal  value  and  do 
not  bear  on  a  leading  idea  common  to  both : 

The  Biflex  Binder  is  growing  rapidly  in  popularity  in  the 
schools,  and  it  is  simple  in  construction,  easy  to  manipulate, 
attractively  and  strongly  bound. 

The  sentence  is  better  expressed  as  follows : 

The  Biflex  Binder  is  growing  rapidly  in  popularity  in  the 
schools,  because  it  is  simple  in  construction,  easy  to  manipu- 
late, and  attractively  and  strongly  bound. 

77.  The  point  of  view.  The  point  of  view  has  particular  bear- 
ing on  the  unity  of  a  sentence,  and  we  shall  see  later  that  it  also 
affects  its  coherence.  For  example,  a  sentence  which  is  partly 
in  the  active  voice  and  partly  in  the  passive  voice  is  apt  to  have 
two  points  of  view.  The  following  sentence  will  serve  as  an 
illustration  : 

Since  America  was  discovered  by  Columbus,  he  should  have 
had  the  honor  of  giving  this  continent  his  name. 


I20  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Here  the  reader's  attention  is  directed  in  the  beginning  to 
America  as  the  subject  of  the  first  clause  and  then  turned  to 
Columbus  as  the  subject  of  the  second  clause.  Throughout  the 
whole  statement  Columbus  should  occupy  the  reader's  attention, 
as  in  the  following  sentence : 

Since  Columbus  discovered  America,  he  should  have  had  the 
honor  of  giving  this  continent  his  name. 

Parallel  or  uniform  construction  tends  to  a  fixed  point  of  view 
in  a  sentence.    In  particular  avoid 

1.  Unnecessary  changes  from  one  voice  to  the  other  (from 
the  active  to  the  passive  voice). 

2.  Unnecessary  changes  from  one  case  to  another;  as,  for 
example,  from  the  nominative  to  the  objective. 

3.  Different  constructions  in  the  same  sentence  expressing 
similar  thoughts,  as  a  phrase  and  a  clause  expressing  co- 
ordinate ideas. 

The  following  sentences  illustrate  such  errors  as  have  been 
mentioned  above  and  show  how  they  may  be  corrected : 

1.  The  store  was  originally  built  by  Johnson,  and  he  con- 
tinued to  add  to  it  as  the  business  grew. 

Johnson  originally  built  the  store  and  continued  to  add  to  it 
as  the  business  grew. 

2.  In  winter  the  clerks  suffer  from  cold,  and  in  summer  the 
heat  is  suffocating. 

In  winter  the  clerks  suffer  from  cold  and  in  summer  they 
suffocate  with  heat. 

3.  The  merchants  seem  prosperous  and  to  be  ready  to  take 
advantage  of  new  ideas. 

The  merchants  seem  prosperous  and  ready  to  take  advantage 
of  new  ideas. 

EXERCISE  8 

(i)  Classify  the  following  sentences  as  simple,  complex,  or 
compound  ;  (2)  rewrite  each  sentence  according  to  the  directions 
in  parentheses ;  (3)  be  prepared  to  show  why  your  rewritten 
statements  are  or  are  not  improvements  on  the  originals. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      121 

1.  If  you  really  intend  to  know  the  value  of  words,  you  must 
study  well  some  language  other  than  your  mother  tongue. 
(Rewrite  as  a  simple  sentence.) 

2.  I  was  pleased  to  receive  your  letter  of  January  25,  con- 
taining your  order  for  an  additional  twenty-five  dozen  cases  of 
shoes.    (Rewrite  as  a  complex  sentence.) 

3.  In  our  own  subjects,  advertising,  drawing,  bookkeeping, 
typewriting,  and  law,  may  be  found  a  true  basis  for  effective 
idealism.    (Rewrite  as  a  complex  sentence.) 

4.  Learn  to  love  some  art  as  an  avocation,  for  everybody 
should  be  in  some  way  a  kind  of  poet,  botanist,  painter,  musi- 
cian, or  the  like ;  but  also  learn  to  be  a  farmer,  carpenter,  ma- 
chinist, accountant,  banker,  or  the  like,  for  the  work  of  the 
world  is  God's  work,  and  it  should  all  be  done  well.  (Rewrite 
as  two  sentences.) 

5.  Private  ownership  of  the  earth's  resources  is  right  and  rea- 
sonable not  for  its  own  sake  —  which  is  absurd  —  but  because  it 
enables  men  to  supply  their  wants  more  satisfactorily  than  would 
be  possible  in  a  regime  of  common  property.  (Rewrite  as  two 
sentences.) 

6.  Your  account  for  fifty-five  dollars,  a  statement  of  which  is 
inclosed,  is  overdue,  and  payment  should  be  made  to  this  office 
at  once.    (Rewrite  as  a  simple  sentence  or  as  two  sentences.) 

7.  When  you  order  goods,  please  be  sure  to  give  the  identifi- 
cation numbers  which  are  indicated  in  the  catalogue.  (Rewrite 
as  a  simple  sentence.) 

8.  Please  acknowledge  receipt  of  the  inclosed  check,  which 
you  will  credit  to  my  January  account  only.  (Rewrite  as  two 
sentences  or  as  a  simple  sentence.) 

EXERCISE  9 

Point  out  the  errors  in  the  following  sentences  and  rewrite 
the  sentences  correctly : 

1.  As  effective  shorthand  was  really  invented  by  Pitman,  he 
deserves  the  honor  of  giving  his  name  to  this  system  of  writing. 

2.  I  wish  everyone  would  attend  to  their  own  affairs. 

3.  The  patrons  heard  the  rumor,  and  gradually  the  conclu- 
sion was  reached  that  the  bank  was  insolvent. 


122  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

4.  By  January  the  buyers  have  practically  completed  ar- 
rangements for  next  year's  Christmas,  and  only  a  few  chance 
orders  are  given  for  unexpected  novelties. 

5.  Coming  down  the  street,  a  large  stone  building  is  seen 
facing  you. 

78.  Parenthetical  expressions.  Parenthetical  expressions  tend 
to  injure  the  oneness  of  thought  that  should  characterize  a  sen- 
tence.  It  should  be  remembered  that  a  parenthetical  expres- 
sion is  not  necessarily  inclosed  by  parentheses.  It  may  be  set 
off  as  v^ell  by  commas  or  dashes.  There  is  a  marked  tendency 
in  business  writing  to  avoid  all  such  expressions. 

EXERCISE  10 -Oral 

Examine  the  following  sentences  and  note  the  general  effect 
of  parenthetical  expressions.  Point  out  those  that  you  think 
should  be  omitted  and  give  your  reasons  for  such  omissions. 

1.  In  the  old  days  we  hired  our  printing  done,  as  did  every 
other  magazine  publisher,  but  now  we  have  our  own  print  shop 
(see  the  cut  on  the  front  page),  modern  and  well  equipped. 

2.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Commit- 
tee on  Business,  —  a  committee  appointed  by  the  State  Board 
of  Education,  —  and  he  has  served  on  the  Board  of  Education 
itself. 

3.  But  now  I  have  a  new  proposition  in  Moose  Jaw,  Sas- 
katchewan (population  28,000),  and  since  I  am  already  w^ork- 
ing  as  hard  as  possible,  I  must  have  a  man  to  handle  this  new 
undertaking. 

4.  Perhaps  the  most  interesting  facts  presented  refer  to  the 
old  superstition  —  for  it  is  a  superstition  —  that  the  first  scholar 
in  the  college  class  is  unlikely  to  succeed  in  business  or  in  any- 
thing else  in  after  life. 

5.  The  natural,  bright  finish  may  be  brought  to  a  beautiful 
flat  finish  by  rubbing,  forty-eight  hours  after  the  last  coat,  with 
a  piece  of  felt,  powdered  pumice,  and  water. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC     123 

EXERCISE  11 

Show  in  what  respect  the  following  sentences  lack  unity. 
Point  out  any  other  errors.    Rewrite  and  improve  the  sentences. 

1.  Your  trial  order  is  solicited  and  we  invite  you  to  call 
whether  you  are  ready  to  place  an  order  or  not,  since  it  will 
give  us  an  opportunity  to  demonstrate  our  ability  to  satisfy  you 
in  every  way,  which  we  are  anxious  to  do. 

2.  Thanking  you  for  past  patronage,  and  soliciting  a  con- 
tinuance of  the  same,  and  we  shall  be  very  thankful  to  have 
you  pass  this  circular  to  your  friends,  we  remain,  yours 
respectfully,  Henry  Black  &  Co. 

3.  We  have  deposit  boxes  of  various  sizes,  which  can  be  had 
at  a  small  rental  for  the  safe-keeping  of  securities  and  valuables, 
and  we  allow  interest  at  the  rate  of  2  per  cent  per  annum  on  all 
accounts  of  $500  and  over,  which  are  also  subject  to  check. 

4.  A  statement  of  your  account  will  be  mailed  promptly  the 
last  of  each  month  with  canceled  checks,  and  currency  can 
be  sent  by  registered  letter. 

5.  I  regret  exceedingly  to  inform  you  that  the  supply  of 
our  '*  Summer  Resorts "  pamphlet  is  exhausted,  but  in  the 
meantime  if  there  is  anything  you  would  specially  like  to  know 
about  any  place  reached  by  our  line  I  shall  be  glad  to  assist 
you,  and  hope  that  I  shall  be  able  to  help  you  to  find  what 
you  want. 

6.  The  store  is  on  Broad  Street  and  is  the  largest  in  town. 

7.  The  subscription  price  is  one  dollar  a  year,  and  I  trust 
that  you  will  be  interested  to  the  extent  of  filling  in  the  inclosed 
blank  which  will  bring  to  your  desk  the  only  independent 
publication  in  the  city. 

8.  We  invite  your  attention  to  one  of  our  most  recent  pub- 
lications translated  from  the  Russian  of  Tolstoy  whose  graphic 
descriptions  of  peasant  life  make  the  reader  feel  that  he  is 
living  in  the  scenes  which  are  described  in  a  manner  that  has 
never  been  before  equaled. 

9.  Your  attention  is  invited  to  the  inclosed  list  of  rural- 
delivery  maps  by  reference  to  which  you  will  note  that  the 
price  of  all  county  maps  is  twenty  cents  a  copy,  which  is  barely 
the  cost  of  publication. 


124  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

10.  We  prefer  to  pay  for  telegrams  offering  us  business  or 
otherwise  tending  to  benefit  us,  long  telegrams  should  be  sent 
as  "  night  letters." 

11.  These  trunks  are  offered  at  five  dollars  each,  regardless 
of  size,  and  are  being  placed  on  sale  at  this  slaughter  price  to 
clear  the  floor  for  our  fall  goods  of  which  our  announcement 
will  appear  next  week. 

12.  We  asked  a  floor  superintendent  who  was  talking  to  a 
young  man  who  was  evidently  much  disturbed  over  something 
that  he  wished  to  buy  or  had  lost. 

79.  Coherence.  The  ideas  in  a  sentence  should  be  arranged 
so  that  the  meaning  will  be  naturally  developed  and  will  be 
perfectly  clear.  The  two  great  hindrances  to  coherence  are 
ambiguity  and  dislocation. 

Ambiguity.  Ambiguity  is  the  placing  of  a  word,  phrase,  or 
clause  in  such  a  position  that  it  has  two  or  more  possible  meanings. 
Ambiguity  frequently  arises  from  failure  to  indicate  clearly  the 
antecedent  of  a  pronoun.  Particularly,  one  must  be  careful  to 
make  plain  the  antecedents  of  the  following  pronouns :  Ms, 
her,  who,  which,  this,  that. 

Ambiguous  :  The  clerk  informed  the  cashier  that  his  account 
was  incorrect. 

Clearer  :  The  clerk  said  to  the  cashier :  "  Your  account  is 
incorrect "  or  The  clerk  told  the  cashier  that  the  latter 's  account 
was  incorrect.  ^ 

Ambiguous  :  I  received  his  letter  and  check,  which  pleased 
me. 

Clearer  :  I  was  pleased  to  receive  his  letter  and  check  or 
I  was  pleased  to  receive  his  letter,  which  contained  a  check 
or  I  was  pleased  to  receive  the  check  (which  came)  in  his  letter. 

Ambiguous  :  I  received  his  letter  and  check.  This  was  very 
welcome.  {This  may  refer  to  check  or  letter^  or  to  the  receipt 
of  both  check  and  letter.) 

Better  :  I  received  his  very  welcome  letter  and  the  check  or 
I  received  his  letter  and  the  very  welcome  check  or  I  received 
his  letter  and  check.    The  payment  was  very  welcome. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      125 

EXERCISE  12 

Point  out  ambiguous  .expressions  in  the  following  sentences 
and  correct  them  by  rewriting : 

1.  Every  building  is  equipped  with  an  automatic-sprinkler 
system,  which  has  saved  the  company  from  many  a  disastrous  fire. 

2.  I  would  not  indorse  his  opinion,  which  annoyed  him 
very  much. 

3.  Courtesy  and  service  are  the  best  assets  of  these  com- 
panies.   They  are  not  easily  overvalued. 

4.  Mr.  Adams  kept  in  touch  with  Brown's  work  until  he 
was  transferred  to  a  Western  agency. 

5.  She  told  the  matron  that  she  would  receive  an  answer  in 
a  few  days. 

6.  Your  promptness,  energy,  and  originality  are  commend- 
able.   This  has  pleased  me  much. 

7.  If  you  do  not  keep  your  typewriter  clean,  your  work 
will  show  it  in  the  end.    This  is  just  what  you  wish  to  avoid. 

8.  He  asked  if  he  would  go  when  he  was  ready. 

9.  It  is  not  only  by  doing  your  work  well  in  this  class  but 
also  at  home  that  you  will  fit  yourself  for  office  work. 

10.  I  am  interested  in  the  proposition  and  wish  you  to  con- 
sider it.    It  is  seldom  that  I  feel  so  strongly  on  a  matter. 

11.  I  have  received  your  letter  of  October  15,  inclosing  a 
check  for  $15.80  as  settlement  in  full  of  your  account.  I  have 
referred  it  to  the  legal  department. 

12.  A  subordinate  clause  is  a  group  of  words  with  a  subject 
and  predicate,  which  helps  to  make  clear  a  main  clause. 

13.  Do  not  crowd  around  the  door.  It  impedes  the  move- 
ments of  our  employees. 

14.  The  most  important  part  of  a  letter  often  is  the  beginning. 

15.  I  am  inclosing  a  letter  of  recommendation  from  Head 
Master  William  B.  Smith,  which  may  be  of  interest  to  you. 

16.  I  have  received  your  letter  and  the  inclosed  statement. 
This  clears  up  our  difficulty. 

17.  There  is  no  place  in  this  country  for  people  who  are  not 
willing  to  support  the  country  to  which  they  come  in  time  of  need. 

18.  If  not  an  owner  of  a  small  garden,  we  send  a  certain  kind 
of  flowers  which  may  be  raised  in  a  kind  of  box  on  the  back  porch. 


126  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

80.  Dislocation.  Dislocation  in  a  sentence  is  separation  of  those 
members  which  belong  together.  The  following  sentence  is 
dislocated : 

This  spring  we  intend  to  issue  a  circular,  which  we  will  mail 
to  our  agents,  dealing  with  the  matter  of  partial  payments. 

Here  the  phrase  ''dealing  with  the  matter  of  partial  payments" 
is  unnaturally  separated  from  circular,  the  word  that  it  modifies. 
The  sentence  would  read  better  as  follows : 

This  spring  we  intend  to  issue  and  mail  to  our  agents  a  cir- 
cular dealing  with  the  matter  of  partial  payments. 

Or, 

This  spring  we  intend  to  deal  with  the  matter  of  partial 
payments  in  a  circular  which  we  will  mail  to  our  agents. 

81.  Influence  of  the  point  of  view  on  coherence.  A  fixed  point 
of  view  and  parallel  or  uniform  construction  relates  not  only  to 
unity  but  also  to  coherence  in  a  sentence  (see  section  JJ). 

The  sentence  quoted  on  page  119,  "  Since  America  was  dis- 
covered by  Columbus,  he  should  have  had  the  honor  of  giving 
this  continent  his  name,"  lacks  coherence  as  well  as  unity. 
The  first  clause  does  not  naturally  introduce  the  second  clause. 
It  would  lead  up  more  naturally  to  some  such  clause  as  one 
of  the  following :  *'  This  continent  should  have  been  given  his 
name,"  or  "  This  continent  should  have  honored  him  by  taking 
his  name." 

EXERCISE  13 

Examine  the  following  sentences  and  rewrite  any  that  seem 
to  you  lacking  in  coherence.  Be  ready  to  justify  the  present 
form  of  any  that  you  consider  well  expressed. 

1.  Wanted.    An  ofhce  boy  immediately. 

2.  To  let.   Two  large,  furnished  connecting  rooms  with  bath 
for  gentlemen  only. 

3.  On    account    of    being   nearsighted,  .customers    thought 
Hollinsworth  was  cross. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      127 

4.  D.  G.  Grahame,  jobber  and  commission  merchant,  was 
shot  and  probably  fatally  injured  by  E.  B.  Coyle,  one  of  his 
employees,  formerly  with  Smith  and  Gillis,  near  the  entrance 
to  the  Merchants'  Exchange. 

5.  The  announcement,  that  the  sheriff  has  appointed  new 
court  officers  without  considering  several  politicians  who  were 
in  line  for  permanent  appointment,  and  who  now  as  a  result 
of  their  disappointment  are  bitterly  attacking  the  sheriff,  was 
a  sad  blow  for  the  makeshift  members  of  the  party. 

6.  The  city  council  committee  on  finance  which  held  a  ses- 
sion on  Monday  afternoon  prior  to  the  regular  council  meeting 
to  consider  several  loans  for  municipal  improvements  will  not 
meet  again  until  the  new  members  have  taken  their  seats. 

7.  Repeatedly,  during  the  last  century.  New  England  has  been 
accused  of  manipulating  the  tariff  schedule  for  her  own  profit. 

8.  The  stone  was  large  and  of  a  dark  blue  color,  which 
glowed  when  brought  into  the  bright  sunlight. 

9.  Numbers  (except  in  the  address  at  the  top  of  the  mes- 
sage) must  be  written  in  words. 

10.  While  waiting  for  my  change  at  the  counter,  the  fire 
alarm  was  sounded. 

11.  While  in  Liverpool,  his  brother  Peter  became  ill  and  it 
was  necessary  for  him  to  manage  the  business. 

12.  A  woman  was  seen  loitering  about  the  place  where  the 
child  was,  carrying  a  large  bundle. 

13.  Emigration  does  not  follow  the  flag  so  easily  as  the  dollar. 

14.  One   day,    while   making  up   my  accounts,   a   mistake 
occurred  that  cost  me  several  dollars. 

15.  Copy  the  account  handed  back  to  you  in  ink. 

16.  Wanted.    An  experienced  girl  to  cook. 

82.  Emphasis.    The  v^ords  in  a  sentence  should  be  so  arranged 
that  the  most  important  ideas  will  receive  the  most  emphasis. 
The  following  points  are  worth  remembering : 

I.  The  beginning  and  ending  of  a  sentence  are  the  most  important 

positions. 

Your  7noney  back  if  you  are  not  satisfied  is  the  invariable  practice 
of  our  firm. 


128  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

2.  The  ideas  or  words  in  a  sentence  may  sometimes  be  arranged 
with  a  cumulative  effect,  rising  in  force  with  each  succeeding  word 
and  closing  with  the  strongest  word  of  all.  Such  a  form  is  called 
a  climax. 

He  has  a  pleasing  personality,  a  keen  mind,  and  an  unimpeachable 
character. 

3.  Repetition  will  sometimes  emphasize  a  word  or  a  longer  expres- 
sion by  forcing  it  upon  the  reader's  attention.  Note  in  the  following 
sentence  how  the  expression  on  time  is  forced  upon  your  attention : 

In  this  office  you  must  not  only  begin  your  work  exactly  on  time^ 
but  you  must  also  finish  it  on  time. 

4.  A  word,  phrase,  or  clause  is  often  emphasized  by  being  placed 
in  a  somewhat  unusual  position  in  the  sentence.  For  example,  the 
subject  and  predicate  may  change  places,  or  the  object  may  precede 
the  verb. 

5.  A  figure  of  speech  frequently  adds  force  to  an  expression. 
Compare  "  He  loved  money  "  with  "  His  idol  was  gold  "  or  "  He 
worshiped  dollars." 

6.  A  specific  expression  is  usually  superior  to  a  general  one. 
Compare  "  I  am  in  receipt  of  your  valued  favor  of  recent  date  "  with 
"  This  morning  I  was  pleased  to  receive  your  order  of  July  13." 

7.  Parallel  construction,  particularly  as  seen  in  the  balanced  sen- 
tence, adds  force  to  a  statement.  Compare  ''  He  has  persistence,  but 
his  partner  is  full  of  tact,  and  brains  are  in  the  make-up  of  both  of 
them  "  with  "  He  has  persistence,  his  partner  has  tact,  both  have 
brains." 

EXERCISE  14 

Change  the  order  of  the  words  in  the  following  sentences  as 
many  times  as  you  can  without  distortion,  and  note  how  the 
emphasis  on  different  words  varies  with  the  order : 

1.  The  claim  that  education  should  be  founded  on  experi- 
ment is  not  new. 

2.  I  want  to  protest  as  strongly  as  I  can  against  the  notion 
that  an  army  of  untrained  observers  is  useful  in  proportion  to 
its  size. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC     129 

3.  A  reputation  for  promptness  in  filling  orders  is  an  asset 
worth  having. 

4.  Theoretically,  vertical  writing  has  the  advantage  over 
sloping  writing  in  legibility. 

5.  At  present  it  is  the  plan  of  the  firm  to  make  employees 
loyal  and  contented. 

6.  I  wish  you  to  write  only  one  letter. 

7.  The  so-called  cultural  subjects  are  necessary,  too. 

8.  If  more  sane  letters  of  application  were  written,  there 
would  be  fewer  misfits  in  this  world. 

9.  I  shall  be  pleased  to  send  you  a  check  not  later  than  the 
middle  of  next  month. 

EXERCISE  15 

Rewrite  the  following  sentences,  making  them  more  emphatic. 
Give  particular  attention  to  improving  italicized  expressions  and 
note  the  suggestions  in  parentheses  after  each  sentence. 

1.  We  have  had  considerable  difficulty y^r  a  long  time  in 
trying  to  secure  satisfactory  results  from  our  stenographic  depart- 
ment. {Place  importa7it  words  or  expressions  at  the  beginning 
or  e?id.) 

2.  Your  machine  is  satisfactory  because  the  only  work  that 
we  can  accept  must  be  accurate :  the  work  of  your  machine  can 
always  be  depended  on,  for  it  never  makes  mistakes.  (Try  to 
repeat  the  words  *  satisfactory '  and  *  accurate.') 

3.  United  States  Government  Bonds  are  always  a  good 
investment,  because  they  are  absolutely  safe,  readily  marketable, 
obtainable  in  small  denominations,  subject  to  comparatively 
small  fluctuations,  and  furnish  a  fair  rate  of  interest.  {Use  a 
climactic  form  and^  as  far  as  possible^  parallel  construction?) 

4.  We  have  only  the  highest  words  of  praise  for  your  Auto- 
Truck  as  a  time-saver  in  our  business.  {Place  in  somewhat 
unusual  positions  the  expressions  that  you  wish  to  emphasize^ 

5.  His  business  has  grown  with  extraordinary  rapidity.  (Use 
a  figure  of  speech  to  describe  the  quick  gro7vth  of  his  business^ 

6.  The  great  insurance  companies  of  the  United  States  are 
absolutely  sound  financially.  (Emphasize  the  financial  stability 
of  insurance  companies  by  using  a  figure  of  speech?) 


I30  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

7.  I  have  studied  some  interesting  subjects  lately.    {Use 
specific  terms.    Make  ^  what/  *  when/  and  *  where  '  definite?) 

8.  I  saw  excellent  bargains  in  a  store  the  other  day.    ( Use 
specific  expressions^ 

9.  He  is  a  successful  business  man.    {Use  specific  expres- 
sions?) 

10.  He  is  receiving  a  good  salary.   {Use  specific  expressions?) 

11.  It  is  necessary  for  me  to  receive  a  reply  from  you  before 
long.    (  Use  specific  expressions?) 

12.  For  a  stenographer  to  do  the  best  work,  she  must  have 
a  knowledge  of  the  matter  which  she  is  writing  and  the  general 
plan  of  the  whole  subject  should  be  in  her  mind.  (  Use  parallel 
construction?) 

EXERCISE  16 

Rewrite  the  sentences  below,  making  them  more  emphatic  : 

1.  A  short  time  ago  I  was  talking  to  a  person  in  business  in 
a  neighboring  city. 

2.  He  had  made  a  great  deal  of  money  recently. 

3.  Prices  will  see-saw  for  some  time,  in  my  opinion. 

4.  The  last  of  the  month  we  will  offer  some  surprising  values 
in  clothing. 

5.  You  should  speak  the  truth. 

6.  He  is  not  likely  to  tell  anybody  any  secrets. 

7.  With  best  wishes  for  your  continued  success,  I  remain, 
yours  truly,  J.  V.  Hammond. 

8.  Since  introducing  your  machine  into  our  business  some 
time  ago,  we  have  been  much  pleased  with  the  improvement  in 
our  work. 

83.  Euphony  in  sentences.  We  seem  to  have  a  natural 
aversion  to  the  frequent  occurrence  of  the  same  sound.  The 
person  who  is  always  whistling  snatches  of  a  popular  tune,  who 
drums  on  one  key  of  the  piano,  or  who  uses  continually  some 
particular  slang  word  irritates  us.  We  say  he  "  gets  on  our 
nerves.*'  The  science  of  harmony  as  applied  to  speech  is, 
however,  exceedingly  complex  and  cannot  be  discussed  here, 
but  you  must  consider  the  euphony  —  the  pleasant  sound  —  of 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      1 31 

your  sentences  as  something  well  worth  your  attention.  You 
must  be  as  careful  of  the  sound  of  what  you  say  or  write  as  the 
advertiser  should  be  of  the  appearance  of  his  advertisement. 

It  may  at  this  point  occur  to  you  that  many  advertisements 
and  much  popular  writing  are  full  of  expressions  that  aim  at 
repetitions.  We  all  remember  the  delight  with  which  we  re- 
peated *'  Peter  Piper,"  ''  If  a  woodchuck  would  chuck  wood,'* 
''All  the  news  all  the  time,"  ''  Selden's  scented  soap,"  and  the 
like ;  but  such  plays  on  words  are  nothing  more  than  catchy  or 
half-humorous  tricks  of  language.  They  do  not  belong  in 
matter-of-fact  sentences. 

84.  Hindrances  to  euphony.  There  are  three  great  hindrances 
to  euphony  in  a  sentence : 

1.  The  repetition  of  w^ords  of  similar  or  identical  sounds. 

2.  The  repetition  of  words  beginning  with  the  same  sound. 

3.  A  succession  of  words  of  one  syllable. 

It  may  be  wise  to  call  attentio^i  at  this  point  to  the  advisability 
of  avoiding  a  series  of  sentences  that  are  alike  in  construction 

(p.  133). 

The  three  suggestions  given  above  call  for  the  exercise  of 
much  common  sense.  A  writer  or  speaker  need  not  fear  that 
he  has  violated  the  laws  of  euphony  if  he  repeats  an  unimportant 
word  such  as  and,  to,  or  the.  It  is  noticeable  repetition  that  is 
objectionable,  but  even  noticeable  repetition  must  not  be  shunned 
at  the  expense  of  clearness  of  expression.  At  times  it  may  be 
found  that  repetition  of  a  word  may  have  increased  the  force 
of  a  statement  (p.  128).  Such  is  the  case  in  the  following 
sentence  : 

He  behaved  to  his  official  superiors  as  he  had  behaved  to 

his  schoolmasters,  and  was  several  times  in  danger  of  losing 

his  situation. 

In  general,  euphony  avoids  unpleasant  combinations  of 
words.  One  of  the  best  means  of  discovering  violations  of 
euphony  in  your  compositions  is  to  read  them  aloud.  (See 
also  section  73.) 


132  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  17 

Criticize  the  euphony  of  the  following  sentences ;  rewrite 
those  that  do  not  sotmd  well  to  you : 

1.  You  will  find  inclosed  my  check  for  four  dollars  in  pay- 
ment for  the  book. 

2.  J  am  in  need  of  a  boy  to  help  me  for  the  next  month 
on  my  books.  I  wish  you  to  call  at  the  store  this  week  so  that 
I  may  learn  if  you  can  do  the  work. 

3.  Please  find  inclosed  my  check  for  four  dollars,  for  which 
please  send  me  the  bat  described  in  the  advertisement  at  the 
top  of  this  letter. 

4.  Of  course  such  a  course  cannot  be  pleasing  to  us. 
6.  Two  dollars  is  too  much  to  pay. 

6.  The  proofreader  missed  the  mistake,  and  therefore  Mr. 
remained  misspelled. 

7.  The  '^  Haldane  "  sets  we  have  on  hand  are  handsomely    . 
bound. 

8.  I  will  try  to  telegraph  tci  Thompson  so  he  will  have  time 
to  take  the  train. 

9.  We  have  your  letter  of  the  loth  inst.,  and  we  wish  to 
say  that  we  have  been  unable  to  get  a  satisfactory  bid  on 
your  $iooo  L.  &  N.  bond  that  we  hold. 

10.  On  account  of  a  continually  increasing  mailing  list,  we 
cannot  send  our  weekly  circular  to  persons  not  having  an 
account  with  us. 

11.  The  actual  market  is  not  very  active. 

12.  Familiarity  with  a  certain  line  of  business  is  likely  to 
make  one  familiar  with  the  letters  required  to  carry  it  on. 

EXERCISE  18 

Each  of  the  following  sentences  contains  one  or  more  of  the 
*' hindrances  to  euphony"  listed  on  page  131.  Be  prepared  to 
point  out  the  exact  violation  of  euphony  in  each  case  and  rewrite 
the  sentences. 

1.  For  references  I  am  permitted  to  refer  you  to  Mr.  George 
H.  Brown  and  Miss  Edith  M.  Thornton,  both  instructors  in  the 
commercial  department  of  the  Bridgeport  High  School. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      133 

2.  When  one  really  tries  to  make  good,  the  good  that  is  in 
him  crops  out. 

3.  I  have  written  to  Mr.  Rice  that  we  shall  surely  raise  the 
price. 

4.  I  think  your  friend  fortunate  to  be  able  to  enter  the  finan- 
cial field  at  this  favorable  moment. 

5.  On  the  other  hand,  unless  the  ambition  is  aroused,  the 
salesman  may  talk  himself  hoarse  without  arousing  any  ambition. 
(Remember  that  a  word  may  be  repeated  for  the  sake  of 
emphasis.) 

85.  Variety  in  the  use  of  sentences.  Every  sentence  is  at 
the  same  time  simple^  compound^  or  complex  \  declarative^  im- 
perative^ interrogative^  or  exclamatory ;  periodic  or  loose ;  and 
long  or  short.  Every  sentence  is  also  a  balanced  sentence  or  it 
is  not.  Such  a  number  of  possible  combinations  gives  oppor- 
tunity for  an  endless  variety  of  sentences. 

Note.  A  periodic  sentence  is  one  in  which  there  is  not  a  complete  thought 
until  the  end  is  reached.  A  loose  sentence  is  one  in  which  a  complete  thought 
is  expressed  before  the  end  is  reached.  A  balanced  sentence  is  one  contain- 
ing phrases  or  clauses  which  are  similar  in  form  and  of  about  the  same  length, 
weight,  and  emphasis.    Examples  are 

Periodic  Sentence  :  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  you  are  much  to  blame. 
Loose  Sentence  :  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  he  is  capable 

of  filling  the  position,  (  .  )  for  I  have  seen  him  tested  ( . )  with  many 

different  kinds  of  difficult  problems  ( . )  similar  to  those  which  he  is 

likely  to  meet  (  . )  with  you. 

Balanced  Sentence:  He  pays  his  men  well  and  he  works  them 

hard. 

EXERCISE  19 

Classify  the  sentences  in  this  exercise  as  (i)  simple,  compound, 
or  complex;  (2)  declarative,  imperative,  interrogative,  or  exclam- 
atory ;  (3)  periodic  or  loose ;  (4)  balanced  or  not  balanced ; 
(5)  long  or  short.  If  you  cannot  decide  just  what  is  a  long 
sentence  and  just  what  is  a  short  sentence,  test  the  truth  of  the 
following  statement  by  examining  a  few  business  letters  and 
some  of  your  own  themes  :  "  In  business  writing  a  sentence  of 
more  than  thirty  words  is  usually  too  long." 


134  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

1.  The  world  cries  out  for  the  man  who  can  carry  a  message 
to  Garcia. 

2.  The  greatest  regulator  of  conduct  is  the  spirit  of  regulation. 

3.  Unless  I  know  that  the  employer  is  without  fault,  unless  I 
know  that  he  is  struggling  with  an  inherited  vicious  condition,  I 
have  no  patience  with  so-called  labor  troubles. 

4.  Naturally,  if  we  would  get  at  a  more  satisfying  conclusion 
to  determine  whether  the  college  is  making  good,  we  must  go 
over  the  five-year  books  and  ten-year  books  of  college  classes 
that  have  been  in  the  business  world  for  such  periods,  and  must 
select  the  names  of  those  men  who  entered  commercial  activities 
after  completing  the  recognized  academic  course. 

Opportunity  for  variety  is  an  important  element  in  the  con- 
struction of  a  good  paragraph.  A  series  of  sentences  all 
constructed  on  the  same  plan  is  liable  to  prove  extremely  un- 
interesting reading.  Scarcely  anything  is  so  certain  to  cause 
your  reader  to  pay  little  attention  to  what  you  have  written 
as  a  monotonous  string  of  sentences  with  no  more  apparent 
individuality  than  a  row  of  pennies. 

Fortunately  our  language  is  well  prepared  to  furnish  us  with 
the  means  of  guarding  against  monotony  of  expression.  Not 
only  have  we  the  different  kinds  of  sentences  mentioned  above, 
but  we  also  have  thousands  of  synonyms,  a  long  list  of  connec- 
tives, and  all  the  many  kinds  of  phrases,  to  aid  us  in  giving 
variety  to  our  sentences. 

A  comparison  of  the  two  paragraphs  given  below  will  show 
that  the  second  is  much  superior  to  the  first.  No  doubt  much 
of  this  superiority  depends  upon  the  continuity  of  thought 
brought  about  by  the  careful  use  of  connectives,  but  much  also 
depends  on  the  variety  of  expression. 

A  student  should  make  it  his  ambition  to  be  accurate  in 
spelling  and  in  similar  matters.  Accuracy  in  such  small  points 
will  help  him  greatly  in  all  his  written  work.  Spelling  belongs 
to  the  rudiments  of  education.  It  is  hard  to  teach  higher  things  to 
a  student  not  thoroughly  grounded  in  the  rudiments.  We  can 
depend  upon  the  man  whose  knowledge  is  accurate.    We  are 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      135 

apt  to  suspect  that  the  man  who  is  slipshod  in  details  is 
intellectually  weak.  Youth  is  the  time  to  build  up  habits  of 
patience,  perseverance,  and  accuracy.  The  study  of  English 
composition  is  one  of  the  best  means  to  that  end.  The  student 
should  not  have  to  make  a  conscious  effort  to  spell  correctly. 
He  would  then  be  obliged  to  withdraw  a  considerable  part  of 
his  attention  from  more  important  details. 

It  is  worth  the  student's  while,  for  three  reasons,  to  make  it 
his  ambition  to  be  accurate  in  spelling  and  in  similar  matters. 
First,  accuracy  in  small  points  will  help  him  greatly  in  all  his 
written  work.  Spelling  belongs  to  the  rudiments  of  education, 
and  it  is  hard  to  teach  higher  things  to  a  pupil  not  thoroughly 
grounded  in  the  rudiments.  Second,  accuracy  in  detail  is  a  part 
of  character.  We  feel  that  we  can  depend  on  the  man  whose 
knowledge  is  accurate,  and  we  are  apt  to  suspect  that  the  man 
who  is  slipshod  in  details  is  intellectually  weak.  Youth  is  the 
time  to  build  up  habits  of  patience,  perseverance,  and  accuracy, 
and  the  study  of  English  composition  is  one  of  the  best  means 
to  that  end.  Third,  the  pupil  who  has  to  make  a  conscious 
effort  to  spell  correctly  must  necessarily  be  obliged  to  withdraw 
a  considerable  part  of  his  attention  from  more  important  matters. 
—  Carpenter,  '*  Elements  of  Rhetoric  " 

86.  Use  and  value  of  different  kinds  of  sentences.  The  limits 
of  this  chapter  do  not  permit  of  detailed  discussion  of  the  pur- 
pose or  use  of  different  kinds  of  sentences.  The  subject  is, 
however,  one  that  the  student  can  with  advantage  work  out 
for  himself  by  observing  the  effect  of  various  kinds  of  sen- 
tences in  his  own  compositions.  The  following  topics  bear 
directly  upon  the  value  of  variety  in  the  use  of  sentences  and 
are  recommended  for  careful  consideration : 

Length  of  Sentences  :  short,  medium,  long. 

Kinds  of  Sentences:  simple,  compound,  complex;  loose, 
periodic,   balanced. 

Kinds  of  Clauses  :  coordinate,  subordinate,  noun,  adjective, 
adverbial,  relative,  restrictive  (or  essential),  etc. 

Phrases  :  noun,  adjective,  adverbial,  infinitive,  participial,  etc. 


136  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  20  —  Oral  and  Written 

Be  prepared  to  explain  to  the  class  the  difference  between 
long  and  short  sentences.  Be  ready  to  give  as  good  a  definition 
as  you  can  of  what  you  mean  by  a  short  sentence.  Write  or 
find  six  examples  of  both  kinds  of  sentences. 

EXERCISE  21 

Be  prepared  to  answer  the  following  questions : 

1.  To  what  purposes  is  the  short  sentence  specially  adapted  ? 

2.  In  what  instances  may  a  long  sentence  be  desirable? 

3.  Is   a   loose  sentence  more  undignified  than  a   periodic 
sentence  ? 

4.  What  kind  of  sentence  may  be  particularly  valuable  in 
making  a  comparison  or  contrast? 

5.  Which  kind  of  sentence  do  you  think  you  use  the  most, 
the  simple,  the  compound,  or  the  complex? 

EXERCISE  22 

Classify  the  sentences  in  one  of  your  written  compositions 
in  as  many  ways  as  you  can.  One  of  your  sentences  may  be 
simple,  declarative,  loose,  short,  and  not  balanced. 

EXERCISE  23 

Write  a  theme  entitled  '*  The  Magazine  I  Like."  Compare 
your  work  with  that  of  some  other  member  of  the  class,  noting 
the  different  kinds  of  sentences  in  each  exercise. 

EXERCISE  24 

Express  in  your  own  words  each  of  the  following  sentences : 

1.  A  penny  saved  is  a  penny  earned. 

2.  Well  begun  is  half  done. 

3.  Stick  to  your  business  and  your  business  wili  stick  to  you. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      137 

4.  Of  making  many  books  there  is  no  end  ;  and  much  study 
is  a  weariness  of  the  flesh. 

6.  He  that  is  slothful  in  his  work  is  brother  to  him  that  is  a 
great  waster. 

EXERCISE  25 

Select  from  your  reading  two  sentences,  and  change  the 
order  of  the  words  as  often  as  you  can  without  changing  the 
essential  meaning. 

EXERCISE  26 

Express  the  thought  of  each  of  the  following  sentences  in 
two  other  ways.  You  may  vary  the  original  order  of  the  words, 
substitute  new  words  or  expressions,  or  rewrite  the  sentences. 
Try  to  express  the  original  meaning  as  nearly  as  you  can.  For 
example,  the  thought  of  the  first  sentence  may  be  expressed 
in  any  one  of  the  following  ways  : 

An  art  worth  studying  for  its  own  sake  is  being  likable. 
For  its  own  sake,  being  likable  is  an  art  well  worth  studying. 
It  will  pay  you  to  learn  how  to  make  other  people  like  you. 
The  person  whom  others  instinctively  like  has  a  great  asset. 
You  will  please  yourself  by  learning  to  please  others. 

1.  Being  likable  is  an  art  well  worth  studying  for  its  own 
sake. 

2.  I  am  in  receipt  of  your  letter  of  March  15,  with  check 
inclosed  for  $15. 

3.  We  regret  to  say  that  your  package  did  not  reach  our 
packing  room  in  time  for  our  driver  to  deliver  it  on  schedule 
time. 

4.  The  holder  of  this  certificate  is  entitled  to  one  dozen  of 
our  artist-proof  photographs  upon  payment  of  $3.50  at  our 
studio  at  the  time  of  sitting. 

5.  Assuring  you  of  every  courtesy  and  trusting  that  we  may 
have  the  pleasure  of  serving  you,  we  are  very  truly  yours, 
A.  B.  Champlain  and  Company. 

6.  Did  you  make  the  sample  test  with  the  varnish  that  you 
requested  of  us  recently } 

7.  I  will  say  no  more  at  present. 


138  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  27 

Make  a  list  of  the  ways  in  which  variety  may  be  given  to 
the  sentences  in  a  paragraph.  Be  prepared  to  illustrate  your 
statements  by  furnishing  examples  of  different  kinds  of  sen- 
tences. Classify  your  sentences  according  to  the  directions  in 
Exercise  22. 

EXERCISE  28 

In  the  following  sentences  point  out  the  errors  indicated  by 
the  suggestions  in  parentheses : 

1.  From  my  experience  with  these  two  firms  I  am  certain 
that  I  can  fill  satisfactorily  the  position  you  mention  in  your 
advertisement.    {Statement  too  positive^ 

2.  *^  The  Clarion  "  was  the  book  that  I  selected  to  read  out- 
side of  class.    (  JVrong  tense  of  one  of  the  verbs ^ 

3.  Your  letter  of  January  17  has  been  received  and  read. 
{Repetition  of  an  idea.) 

4.  I  have  read  your  letter  of  January  15,  which  pleased  me 
much.    (Ambiguous  use  of  relative  pronoun.) 

5.  If  the  you  idea  is  introduced  into  a  letter,  it  will  be 
much  more  interesting,  especially  in  a  sales  letter.  (Ambiguous 
use  of^  it.') 

6.  Awaiting  a  reply,  I  am,  yours  truly,  John  B.  Strout. 
(Important  statement  in  a  participial  phrase^ 

7.  Having  occasion  to  use  many  office  appliances,  the 
Stenostile  seems  to  me  to  be  as  near  perfection  as  one  can 
expect  in  so  complicated  a  machine.    (Dangling participle^ 

8.  Since  your  aim  should  be  to  preserve  your  savings  rather 
than  to  get  a  high  rate  of  interest,  the  stock  of  the  Mercantile 
Motor  Corporation  ought  to  be  avoided  by  you.  (Unnecessary 
change  of  point  of  view.) 

9.  Do  not  crowd  around  the  counters,  to  help  our  employees 
to  serve  you  quickly.    (Ambiguous.) 

10.  Most  everybody  has  heard  or  seen  the  Link- Belt  Silent 
Chain  Drive.    (Mistake  in  grammar;  word  omitted.) 

11.  We  are  in  receipt  of  your  favor  of  recent  date  and  note 
what  you  have  to  say.  (  Wordy,  trite ;  some  of  the  expressions  are 
almost  meaningless^ 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC     139 

EXERCISE  29 

Point  out  the  errors  in  the  following  sentences  and  improve 
them  by  rewriting : 

a.  Since  introducing  your  typewriter  in  our  office  last 
September,  our  experience  has  been  so  satisfactory  that  we 
would  consider  it  a  step  backward  to  employ  any  other 
machine. 

2.  An  unsigned  check  was  found  in  the  envelope,  which  the 
firm  believed  belonged  to  McGee. 

3.  Yours  sincerely  should  be  used  as  a  complimentary  close 
when  you  are  only  well-acquainted  with  the  person  written  to. 

4.  Burt  went  alone  to  the  old  desk  where  Harold  had 
worked  every  year  as  a  tribute  to  his  old  friend. 

5.  The  language  used  in  law  is  not  suitable  for  business 
letters,  because  it  is  formal  and  heavy  and  employs  too  many 
words. 

6.  Business  English  is  different  than  the  language  of  poetry. 

7.  I  am  anxious  to  enter  the  financial  field  and  of  learning 
banking  methods. 

8.  I  am  twenty  years  of  age  but  have  had  no  experience  in 
selling  stocks. 

9.  Legal  expressions  are  likely  to  be  unknown  to  the  gen- 
eral reader  and  often  many  seemingly  unnecessary  terms  are 
used. 

10.  I  shall  welcome  an  interview  at  your  earliest  possible 
convenience. 

11.  Business  English  is  to  state  what  you  have  to  say  accu- 
rately, clearly,  and  concisely. 

12.  I  ask  your  consideration  of  my  application  for  the  posi- 
tion of  office  boy,  that  you  advertised  in  this  morning's  Herald, 

THE  OUTLINE 

One  of  the  most  valuable  aids  in  organizing  your  thoughts  is 
an  outline.  Just  as  a  builder  draws  up  a  plan  to  guide  him  in 
the  construction  of  a  building,  so  the  writer  makes  an  outline 
to  direct  him  in  the  production  of  his  composition. 


140  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

An  outline  gives  concisely,  in  the  form  of  a  table,  all  the  impor- 
tant topics  of  a  composition.  It  is  an  aid  toward  securing  unity, 
coherence,  and  emphasis,  for  it  is  Hkely  to  direct  attention  to 
any  topic  that  does  not  help  to  develop  the  main  thought,  and 
at  the  same  time  it  will  show  whether  or  not  the  topics  are 
well  arranged.  It  will  also  help  to  decide  what  sentences  or 
paragraphs  deserve  emphatic  positions. 

As  a  rule  a  business  man  does  not  make  outlines,  but  simply 
writes  or  dictates  what  he  has  to  say  without  much  apparent 
preparation.  He  really  carries  in  his  memory  a  variety  of  out- 
lines suitable  to  various  requirements,  for  experience  has  taught 
him  the  kind  of  letter  that  is  suited  to  a  particular  occasion. 
But  even  the  business  man  may  profit  by  the  use  of  an  outline. 
It  may  show  him  how  to  use  new  ideas  and  may  keep  him 
from  using  over  and  over  again  the  same  old  expressions. 
Certainly  the  beginner  can  save  himself  much  labor  by  outlin- 
ing a  composition  before  actually  writing  it.  Ideas  come  thick 
and  fast,  once  we  have  really  begun  to  write,  but  as  some  one 
has  said,  **  An  outline  is  valuable,  even  if  it  only  serves  to  indi- 
cate why  it  is  not  to  be  followed."  After  you  have  made  your 
outline,  there  is  no  reason  why  you  must  blindly  follow  it  if 
you  discover  good  arguments  for  not  doing  so ;  but  in  the 
meantime  it  has  helped  you  to  clarify  your  thoughts. 

87.  Outline  of  a  paragraph.  The  outline  of  a  paragraph  is 
usually  simple,  a  few  phrases  sufficing  to  make  clear  what  is 
to  be  said  and  how  it  is  to  be  arranged. 

The  following  is  an  outline  of  the  short  paragraph  on  page  144 : 

1 .  Definition  of  bookkeeping. 

2.  Two  kinds  of  bookkeeping. 
a.  Double  entry. 

d.  Single  entry. 

You  must  learn  to  make  short  mental  outlines  quickly.  At 
first  it  will  be  necessary  to  write  them,  and  their  preparation 
will  require  conscious  effort,  but  after  much  practice  you  will  be 
able  to  glance  ahead  and  outline  your  subject  almost  instantly. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      141 

Below  is  an  outline  of  the  long  paragraph  on  page  144  : 

1.  Goethe's  opinion  of  double-entry  bookkeeping. 

2.  Bookkeeping  valuable  for  education. 

a.  Requires  diligence  and  accuracy. 

b.  Teaches  one  to  think. 

c.  Shows  the  value  of  carefulness. 

d.  Teaches  foresight. 

e.  Gives  mental  satisfaction  when  well  done. 

f.  Gives  self-confidence. 

g.  Helps  to  form  character. 

The  following  is  an  outline  of  the  letter  given  on  page  160  : 

1 .  The  letter  is  written  at  the  suggestion  of  a  friend. 

2.  The  bank  is  attentive  to  all  depositors. 

a.  Deposit  boxes  are  of  various  sizes. 

b.  Interest  is  allowed  on  small  check  accounts. 

3.  Business  may  be  conducted  by  mail. 

a.  Deposits  may  be  made  by  mail. 

b.  Statements  and  canceled  checks  are  mailed  monthly. 

c.  Currency  may  be  sent  by  registered  letter. 

4.  The  bank  gives  advice  on  investments. 

a.  Small  depositors  have  profited  by  advice. 

5.  The  bank  is  interested  in  having  a  new  account. 
a.  The  bank  will  give  attention  to  a  new  account. 

It  seems  best  for  a  beginner  to  use  complete  sentences  when 
making  an  outline  for  connected  paragraphs.  This  forces  him 
to  think  clearly.  Later,  less  elaborate  outlines  may  be  jotted 
down  before  writing  the  compositions.  For  instance,  instead 
of  the  somewhat  elaborate  outline  just  given  of  the  letter  on 
page  160,  a  ready  writer  might  find  the  following  sufficient: 

Occasion  of  the  letter. 

Bank  attentive  to  depositors.  f 

Business  done  by  mail. 

Bank  gives  advice  on  investments. 

Bank  glad  to  have  an  account. 

The  table  of  contents  at  the  beginning  of  the  book  is  an 
example  of  a  long  outline.  For  numbering  the  topics  and  sub- 
topics of  a  long  outline  a  notation  like  the  following  will  serve : 


142  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

I.  First  main  topic 

A.  First  subtopic  under  I 

1 .  First  subtopic  under  A 

a.  First  subtopic  under  i 

b.  Second  subtopic  under  i 

2.  Second  subtopic  under  A 

B.  Second  subtopic  under  I  developed  like  A 
II.  Second  main  topic  developed  like  I. 

EXERCISE  30 

Make  a  brief  plan,  or  outline,  for  each  of  the  following : 

1.  Body  of  the  letter  on  page  112. 

2.  Second  selection  on  page  143. 

3.  Body  of  the  letter  on  page  215. 

EXERCISE  31 

Make  an  outline  of  a  letter,  giving  an  account  of  your  school 
work  during  the  present  year. 

EXERCISE  32  -  Oral 

Make  an  outline  of  a  talk  which  you  could  give  before  the 
class,  discussing  the  practical  use  of  outlines  in  business  writing. 

EXERCISE  33 

Make  a  complete  outline  for  the  first  chapter  in  this  book. 

EXERCISE  34 

As  far  as  you  can,  make  an  outline  of  all  the  studies  you  will 
require  to  complete  your  course  in  this  school.  You  may  arrange 
the  studies  by  years  or  departments,  or  in  any  other  way  that 
you  think  logical.  Under  each  study,  place  sufficient  subtopics 
to  indicate  its  nature  and  range. 

EXERCISE  35 
By  means  of  an  outline,  plan  a  class  outing. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC     143 

THE  PARAGRAPH 

88.  Definition  of  a  paragraph.  A  paragraph  is  a  group  of 
related  sentences  all  hearing  upon  one  central  thought.  Not  only 
must  every  sentence  refer  to  the  same  topic,  but  each  must  also 
aid  in  the  development  of  this  topic.  Examples  of  good  para- 
graphs are  given  on  pages  150  and  151.  The  following  sen- 
tences, although  they  all  treat  in  some  way  the  subject  of  cotton, 
do  not  combine  to  form  any  particular  idea : 

William  Hunter  shipped  more  cotton  from  New  Orleans  in 
1876  than  did  any  other  broker.  The  value  of  cotton  to  the 
South  was  greatly  increased  by  the  invention  of  the  cotton  gin. 
Cotton  has  become  one  of  the  staple  products  of  Egypt.  The 
United  States  exports  large  quantities  of  manufactured  cotton 
to  the  Philippine  Islands.  Pure  cotton  is  rarely  manufactured 
into  cloth.  Lancashire  suffered  greatly  during  the  Civil  War, 
owing  to  the  scarcity  of  cotton. 

The  disconnected  sentences  given  above  may  be  compared 
with  those  in  the  following  paragraph.  Notice  how  every  sen- 
tence given  below  helps  to  develop  the  central  idea,  —  that  the 
growth  of  cotton  depends  on  climate. 

Cotton  is  regarded  as  a  tropical  growth,  but  the  most  impor- 
tant production  is  in  subtropical  regions  intermediate  between 
the  more  heated  and  the  temperate  zones.  It  requires  about 
six  months  without  frost  to  mature  its  fruit,  and  this  places  a 
latitude  limit,  which,  however,  is  very  variable.  Nearly  all  the 
cotton  is  raised  between  40  degrees  north  latitude  and  20 
degrees  south  latitude.  In  the  longitude  of  Europe  it  extends 
from  the  region  about  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  In  the  Orient  it  reaches  from  Japan  to  northern  Aus- 
tralia. In  the  Western  Hemisphere  we  may  place  its  limit  in 
Virginia  on  the  north  and  at  Buenos  Aires  on  the  south.  It 
requires  a  moderate  amount  of  moisture  during  the  months  of 
germination  and  growth,  and  needs  abundant  sunshine  during 
the  stages  of  maturity  and  ripening.  —  Brigham,  "  Commercial 
Geography  " 


144  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  36 

Write  a  paragraph  of  six  or  more  sentences  suggested  by  the 
subject  cotton.  Be  prepared  to  show  that  your  theme  conforms 
to  the  definition  of  a  paragraph  given  on  page  143. 

89.  Length  of  a  paragraph.  The  paragraph,  like  the  sentence, 
has  no  specified  length.  The  detail  with  which  a  topic  is  treated, 
the  class  of  readers  for  whom  the  discussion  is  intended,  the 
personal  opinion  of  the  writer  as  to  what  should  or  should  not 
go  into  a  certain  paragraph,  and  various  other  circumstances 
combine  to  determine  how  long  the  paragraph  shall  be. 

EXERCISE  37 

The  paragraphs  given  below  treat  of  bookkeeping.  Write  an 
exact  topic  sentence  for  each,  and  see  if  you  can  tell  why  the 
second  paragraph  is  so  much  longer  than  the  first. 

Bookkeeping  is  the  art  of  making  a  systematic  record  of 
business  transactions,  enabling  the  proprietor  to  ascertain  the 
conditions  of  his  business.  There  are  two  methods  of  book- 
keeping, double  entry  and  single  entry.  In  double  entry, 
accounts  are  kept  not  only  with  persons  but  with  all  sources 
that  affect  the  results  or  the  condition  of  the  business.  In 
single  entry,  accounts  are  kept,  usually,  with  persons  only.  — 
Adapted  from  Miner  and  Elwell,  "  Principles  of  Bookkeeping  '' 

Goethe  called  double-entry  bookkeeping  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  discoveries  of  the  human  mind.  It  is  also  one  of  the 
best  means  for  the  education  of  the  pupil.  Through  an  un- 
broken course  of  business  of  weeks  and  months  the  pupil 
must  carry  on  his  work  with  the  greatest  diligence  and  the 
most  minute  accuracy  if  he  hopes  to  secure  correct  results.  A 
single  bit  of  carelessness  places  the  success  of  the  whole  work 
in  question.  Instruction  in  bookkeeping  leads,  therefore,  to 
earnest  reflection  and  care,  and,  what  is  more  important,  the 
pupil  himself  experiences  how  fatally  a  single  error  brings  its 
own  punishment.  At  the  end  the  facts  must  agree,  and  the 
worker  must  often  seek  for  a  long  time  before  he  discovers 


^fr'-^" 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      145 

his  own  mistake.  This  training  leads  to  a  careful  foresight 
which  is  so  difficult  for  the  youth  and  is  still  so  necessary  for 
the  man.  Finally,  when  all  the  different  books  taken  together 
agree  to  a  penny,  what  a  satisfaction  does  the  pupil  feel  over 
his  work !  His  self-consciousness  is  heightened  and  a  joy  of 
creation  comes  over  him,  not  known  before.  His  purpose  to 
do  something  correctly  is  strengthened  and  his  sense  of  econ- 
omy, accuracy,  and  order  is  developed.  Out  of  such  simple 
elements  is  formed  the  character  of  man,  and  bookkeeping 
has  contributed  an  element  to  character-building  that  the  young 
men  of  our  time  especially  need.  —  Raydt 


EXERCISE  38 

Write  what  you  consider  a  long  paragraph  on  one  of  the 
following  subjects.  Make  an  estimate  of  the  number  of  words 
you  have  used  and  compare  the  length  of  your  composition 
with  that  of  some  other  member  of  your  class. 

1.  Some  phase  of  bookkeeping. 

2.  The  chief  facts  in  the  life  of  some  prominent  man  whom 
I  know. 

3.  My  first  job. 

4.  A  bad  bargain  that  I  made. 

We  see  that  paragraphs,  even  on  the  same  topic,  may  differ 
greatly  in  length  ;  but  though  we  are  accustomed  to  speaking  of 
long  and  short  paragraphs,  the  terms  long  and  short  admit 
of  no  very  exact  definition.  A  paragraph  of  a  hundred  words 
is  rather  short ;  one  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  words  is  somewhat 
long.  This  distinction  will  serve  the  student  for  practical 
purposes,  since  the  tendency  of  the  beginner  is  to  write  short, 
scrappy  paragraphs  each  of  which  contains  scarcely  more  than 
a  sentence  or  two. 

If  you  wish  to  form  a  good  general  idea  of  what  is  a  long  and 
what  is  a  short  paragraph,  examine  the  paragraphing  of  sev- 
eral pages  of  some  such  master  of  style  as  Macaulay.  You  will 
probably  find  that  what  appear  on  his  pages  as  short  paragraphs 


146  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

are  fully  as  long  as  the  longest  paragraphs  that  most  students 
are  accustomed  to  write.  You  should  also  study  the  paragraph- 
ing of  business  correspondence.  Begin  by  examining  the  letters 
given  in  this  book. 

On  the  whole,  the  tendency  today,  in  the  business  world  at 
least,  is  toward  the  short  paragraph.  This  tendency  may  be 
justified  for  two  reasons :  first,  because  short  paragraphs  break 
up  the  solid  appearance  of  a  written  or  printed  page,  rendering 
it  less  monotonous  to  the  eye ;  secondly,  because  they  tend  to 
prevent  the  reader  from  losing  himself  in  involved  ideas. 

Some  business  men  have  such  faith  in  the  efficacy  of  the 
short  paragraph  that  they  try  to  enforce  the  rule,  "A  separate 
paragraph  for  every  idea.'*  Such  a  tendency  has  manifest 
disadvantages ;  it  may  lead  to  the  separation  of  topics  that 
would  naturally  be  combined,  and  even  to  the  habit  of  writing 
one-sentence  paragraphs. 

The  following  selection,  adapted  from  an  advertisement  of  a 
well-known  pencil  pointer,  will  show  the  extreme  use  of  short 
paragraphs : 

The is  the  only  really  practical  pencil  pointer  made. 

It  is  the  only  machine  made  with  twin  milling  cutters. 

It  has  a  spirally  disposed  cutting  edge  fifty-seven  inches  long, 
with  the  wear  evenly  distributed. 

It  never  breaks  the  lead,  and  it  prevents  any  waste  of  pen- 
cils, for  a  pencil  is  fed  only  until  properly  pointed,  and  then  the 
machine  automatically  stops. 

The is  absolutely  clean.    The  shavings  and  powdered 

lead  dust  drop  into  a  transparent  receptacle.  This  prevents 
soiled  hands  and  infection  from  poisonous  lead  dust. 

It  is  the  quickest  pointer  known.  It  will  take  any  size  of 
pencil  without  adjustment,  and  five  turns  of  the  handle  will 
sharpen  any  new  pencil.  After  a  pencil  has  been  sharpened 
once,  one  turn  of  the  handle  will  resharpen  it. 

The  brevity  of  the  paragraphs  in  the  selection  given  above  is 
supposed  to  make  clear  each  separate  idea.  At  the  same  time, 
it  would  seem  that  the  continuity  of  the  thought  as  a  whole  is 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC     147 

injured.  In  the  following  paragraph  the  same  ideas  are  clearly 
and  compactly  expressed  and  are  also  given  a  close  relation 
that  seems  lacking  in  the  short  paragraphs : 

The is  the  one  really  practical  pencil  pointer  made. 

It  is  the  only  machine  which  has  twin  milling  cutters,  and 
which  also  has  a  spirally  disposed  cutting  edge,  57  inches  long, 
with  the  wear  evenly  distributed.  As  a  result,  it  never  breaks 
a  lead  and  it  never  wastes  pencils,  for  the  pencil  is  fed  only 
until  properly  pointed.    Then  the  machine  automatically  stops 

cutting.    The is  absolutely  clean,   for  the  shavings  and 

powdered  lead  dust  drop  into  a  transparent  receptacle.  This 
prevents  soiled  hands  and  infection  from  poisonous  lead  dust. 
Finally,  it  is  the  quickest  pointer  known.  It  will  take  any  size 
of  pencil  without  adjustment,  and  five  turns  of  the  handle  will 
sharpen  any  new  pencil.  After  a  pencil  has  been  once  sharpened, 
one  turn  of  the  handle  will  resharpen  it. 

In  the  following  advertisement  the  writer  has  compactly 
placed  his  idea  in  one  paragraph.  He  may  have  lost  something 
in  the  typographical  appearance  of  his  statement,  but  he  has 
certainly  gained  much  in  continuity. 

Here  is  a  machine  accomplishing  in  a  few  minutes  the  work 
which  would  require  the  services  of  several  clerks  for  a  period 
of  several  hours.  It  seals,  stamps,  and  counts  15,000  envelopes 
per  hour,  or  it  seals  without  stamping,  or  stamps  without  sealing. 
The  point  is,  this  machine  —  the  Mail-om-eter  —  will  save  your 
employees  an  immense  amount  of  profitless  detail  work ;  it  will 
save  you  actual  money  in  wages,  besides  insuring  positive  accu- 
racy in  the  sealing  and  stamping  of  your  letters.  It  will  enable 
you  to  get  mail  out  to  large  lists  quickly,  without  delay.  It 
will  furnish  an  accurate  machine  check  on  your  postage  account, 
the  stamps  being  locked  in  a  case  and  automatically  recorded  as 
they  are  affixed  to  the  envelopes. 

EXERCISE  39 
Try  to  divide  the  last  paragraph  above  into  two   shorter 
paragraphs.    Has  your  division  added  or  taken  away  anything 
from  the  effectiveness  of  the  advertisement? 


148  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

90.  Unity.  Unity  requires  that  each  sentence  in  a  paragraph 
shall  assist  in  developing  the  central  thought  If  the  student  will 
glance  back  at  the  definition  of  a  paragraph,  he  will  see  that 
with  very  little  alteration  the  definition  will  serve  as  one  of 
unity.  This  shows  how  fundamental  the  quality  is  in  a  well- 
constructed  paragraph. 

A  topic  sentence  is  one  that  sums  up  the  ideas  in  a  paragraph. 
The  topic  sentence  may  be  of  great  assistance  in  helping  the 
writer  to  construct  and  the  reader  to  understand  a  paragraph. 
But  you  are  not  to  suppose  that  the  first  sentence  of  every  well- 
written  paragraph  must  be  a  summary  of  its  contents.  Often 
a  phrase  or  even  one  word,  such  as  would  serve  for  a  title,  is 
sufficient  Id  give  the  clue. 

Two  things  are  worth  remembering  when  writing  a  para- 
graph ;  first,  that  you  have  an  idea  that  should  be  expressed 
exactly ;  secondly,  that  the  reader  should  get  from  the  para- 
graph the  idea  intended.  You  should  have,  before  you  write, 
a  clear,  if  only  a  general,  notion  of  what  you  intend  to  say ; 
the  reader  should  have  as  early  as  possible  a  plain  indication 
of  the  trend  of  your  paragraph.  Do  not  forget  that  his  mind 
is  filled  with  hundreds  of  thoughts  ready  to  flare  up  at  the 
slightest  suggestion.  You  have  a  certain  idea.  Bring  it  before 
him  as  soon  as  possible  with  your  topic  sentence  and  keep  it 
there  by  unity  and  if  necessary  by  repetition  of  your  topic. 

In  the  following  letter  the  first  sentence  indicates  the  con- 
tents of  the  paragraph.  Of  course  it  does  not  mention  definitely 
everything  that  follows,  but  a  careful  reading  of  the  letter  will 
show  that  the  first  sentence  is  an  excellent  introduction  and  pre- 
pares the  way  for  the  ideas  that  come  later.  You  may  test  the 
unity  of  a  paragraph  by  trying  to  express  its  general  meaning 
in  one  sentence. 

I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  your  letter  of  June  23  regarding 
your  brother's  timely  interest  in  the  English  edition  of  our  music 
readers.  I  will  surely  call  on  him  if  he  is  in  London  at  the  time 
*of  my  visit,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  he  can  help  me  in  this 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      149 

matter.  It  is  evident  that  he  is  a  good  judge  of  what  the  public 
schools  need  in  music,  and  it  is  apparent  that  his  judgment  has 
weight  with  the  school  authorities.  We  are  asking  for  nothing 
but  a  fair  decision,  and  I  feel  that  he  can  help  us  to  get  it. 


EXERCISE  40 

Write  a  paragraph,  using  one  of  the  following  sentences  as 
your  topic : 

1.  The  United  States  mines  more  coal  than  any  other  country. 

2.  The  Panama  Canal  impresses  one  simply  by  its  size. 

3.  The  *  typewriter  (fountain  pen,  bicycle,  eraser,  pencil) 
has  *  good  points  that  distinguish  it  from  all  others. 

4.  We  are  not  accustomed  to  seeing  gold  money  in  common 
circulation. 

5.  The  distinction  between  work  and  play  is  not  always  easy. 

6.  I  must  tell  you  about  one  incident  that  happened  during 
my  vacation. 

EXERCISE  41 

Write  a  paragraph  on  the  subject  that  interests  you  most  in 
the  follov^ing  list : 

1.  Collecting  stamps. 

2.  Wireless  telegraphy. 

3.  Commercial  value  of  hand  sewing. 

4.  The  value  of  good  penmanship. 

5.  Benefits  of  play. 

6.  The  best  month  for  a  vacation. 

7.  The  position  I  am  qualified  to  fill. 

8.  Why  I  read  a  newspaper. 

9.  Why  I  do  not  read  a  newspaper. 

10.  The  most  interesting  newspaper  that  I  know. 

91.  Coherence.  Coherence  requires  that  the  sentences  in  a  para- 
graph must  he  arranged  in  a  natural  or  logical  order.  In  other 
v^ords,  coherence  concerns  itself  with  the  arrangement  of 
ideas  within  a  paragraph. 


150  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  42  —  Oral  and  Written 

The  following  paragraph  is  coherent.  Read  it  aloud  and 
notice  how  easily  you  can  grasp  the  meaning.  See  if  you  can 
change  the  present  arrangement  of  the  sentences  without 
destroying  the  clearness  and  continuity  of  the  ideas. 

In  the  cities  and  large  towns,  and  on  the  great  plantations 
at  the  South,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  luxury.  The  rich  lived 
in  stately  mansions,  furnished  with  solid  oak  and  mahogany 
imported  from  England.  Their  tables  shone  with  silver  plate, 
and  sparkled  with  costly  wines.  They  owned  their  servants 
instead  of  hiring  them.  Gentlemen,  when  in  full-dress,  wore 
cocked  hats,  lace  ruffles  at  their  wrists,  knee  breeches,  white 
silk  stockings,  and  shoes  with  silver  buckles.  They  kept  their 
hair  long,  powdered  it  white,  and  tied  it  back  in  a  twist  or 
queue  with  a  black  silk  ribbon.  ...  In  general,  life  moved  in 
a  dignified  and  stately  way ;  there  was  no  hurrying  to  catch 
trains,  no  flashing  of  telegrams  from  one  end  of  the  country  to 
the  other,  no  newsboys  shouting  daily  papers,  no  instantaneous 
photographs,  no  pushing  and  hustling  in  overcrowded  streets. 
Business,  too,  moved  along  like  other  things,  in  a  leisurely 
manner.  The  merchant  was  not  kept  continually  alert  by  the 
continuous  ringing  of  his  telephone,  by  telegrams  from  all  quar- 
ters of  the  globe,  and  by  hourly  deliveries  of  mail.  The  New 
York  business  man  who  got  his  letters  from  Philadelphia  once 
a  week  could  consider  himself  fortunate,  and  when  the  common 
charge  for  one  letter  was  twenty-five  cents,  few  letters  were 
written  that  were  not  indispensable.  —  Adapted  from  Mont- 
gomery's "  Leading  Facts  of  American  History  '^ 

92.  Coherence  by  arrangement.  As  coherence  deals  with  the 
arrangement  of  ideas,  it  is  best  secured  by  clear  thinking  on 
the  part  of  the  writer.  It  is  not  sufficient  that  in  a  paragraph 
the  second  sentence  be  related  to  the  first,  and  the  third  sen- 
tence to  the  second.  The  third  must  be  connected  also  with 
the  first  by  means  of  their  common  relation  to  the  main  topic. 

There  are  many  ways  of  arranging  ideas.  In  narration,  fre- 
quently they  are  placed  simply  in  the  order  of  their  occurrence. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      151 

This  is  called  the  time  order.  In  a  description,  ideas  are  often 
arranged  according  to  the  position  of  the  things  spoken  of. 
This  is  called  the  space  order.  But  one  might  choose  to 
arrange  his  topics  in  what  he  considered  the  order  of  their 
importance,  or  with  reference  to  cause  and  effect,  or  from  the 
viewpoint  of  interest  to  a  particular  reader. 

Thus  we  see  that  there  is  no  hard-and-fast  rule  by  which  ideas 
can  be  arranged  coherently.  One  paragraph  may,  and  usually 
does,  embody  several  methods  of  rendering  it  coherent. 

In  the  following  paragraph  the  first  two  sentences  are  ar- 
ranged in  time  order,  the  third  is  a  contrast  to  the  second,  and 
the  fourth  contains  a  statement  based  on  the  three  preceding 
sentences : 

In  7878  Merton  entered  Brunswick  College  and  graduated 
four  years  later  with  honorable  mention  for  his  proficiency  in 
French.  He  then  went  to  France  for  five  years,  remaining 
most  of  the  time  in  Paris,  where,  with  the  assistance  of  a  tutor, 
he  devoted  himself  to  his  favorite  language.  Unlike  most  grad- 
uate students  abroad,  he  displayed  no  interest  in  the  great 
French  university  and  gave  little  attention  to  the  national  life 
about  him,  but  devoted  his  energies  to  acquiring  such  a  knowl- 
edge of  French  as  is  obtained  from  textbooks  and  libraries. 
Thus,  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight,  while  he  was  a  proficient 
French  scholar,  he  knew  litde  of  modern  France. 

The  sentences  in  the  following  paragraph  are  arranged  in  a 
time  order : 

When  Europe  began  to  wake  from  the  dark  centuries  after 
the  fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,  Italy  took  the  lead  not  only  in 
the  renaissance  of  art  and  learning,  but  also  in  commerce.  The 
Bank  of  Venice  is  supposed  to  have  been  founded  in  1157. 
In  the  fourteenth  century  the  Florentines  forged  ahead,  and  the 
Bank  of  the  Medici  became  the  financial  center  of  what  little 
financial  intercourse  and  commerce  then  existed  between  the 
principal  nations.  In  1401  a  bank  was  founded  at  Barcelona, 
and  in  1407  the  Republic  of  Genoa,  being  embarrassed  by  a 
muldtude  of  loans,  consolidated  them  into  a  "  mountain  "  (monte) 


1 52  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

and  made  this  heap  of  debt  the  capital  of  a  bank  which  was 
placed  under  the  management  of  eight  directors  elected  by  the 
holders  of  the  debt  or  stock.  Various  cities  and  territories  be- 
longing to  Genoa  were  made  over  to  the  bank  as  security  for 
the  debt.  The  fame  and  success  of  the  Italian  banks  led  to  the 
foundation  of  small  lending  houses  in  other  countries  by  Lom- 
bard merchants.  A  number  settled  in  London,  and  gave  their 
name  to  Lombard  Street.  —  Hirst,  "  The  Stock  Exchange  " 

The  ideas  in  the  following  paragraph  are  arranged  in  what  may 
be  called  simply  a  logical  order.  Any  logical  order  would  be  good, 
for,  as  in  this  paragraph,  each  sentence  is  fittingly  placed  from 
the  viewpoint  both  of  what  precedes  and  of  what  follows  it. 

A  Boston  retailer  who  closely  follows  the  sales-sheet  for  rainy 
days  uses  bad  weather  to  sell  his  low-priced  rubbers.  He  has 
large  cases  which  are  divided  into  compartments  so  that  they 
resemble  the  letter  rack  in  a  big  hotel.  Small  stocks  of  rubbers 
are  sorted  into  sizes  by  the  compartments  and  the  cases  placed 
near  the  doorways  on  rainy  days.  The  convenient  arrangement 
into  compartments  enables  the  salesmen  to  fit  customers  quickly. 
Clerks  from  the  shoe  department  take  charge  of  the  cases  and 
usually  turn  in  satisfactory  sales-books. 

EXERCISE  43 

The  following  group  of  sentences  is  not  arranged  so  as  to 
give  continuity  of  thought.  Arrange  them  in  a  coherent  para- 
graph, selecting  a  suitable  topic  sentence  for  the  beginning. 

1.  A  professor  of  law  was  giving  a  lecture  to  third-year  stu- 
dents when  in  the  midst  of  the  lecture  two  students  began 
quarreling.  2.  This  incident  serves  to  show  how  difficult  it  is 
for  even  trained  and  intelligent  men  to  give  an  absolutely  accu- 
rate account  of  what  they  see  and  hear.  3.  The  quarrel  had 
been  prearranged  and  thoroughly  rehearsed  beforehand  so  that 
the  professor  in  charge  had  a  record  of  every  word  spoken  and 
of  every  act.  4.  Their  voices  ros^  in  altercation  and  they  finally 
came  to  blows.  5.  It  was  necessary  finally  to  eject  them  from, 
the  classroom.    6.  In  this  case  the  absolute  truth  was  known. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC     153 

7.  These  sheets  of  written  evidence  were  collected  and  tabula- 
tions made  of  their  accuracy.  8.  This  brought  a  remarkable 
condition  to  light.  9.  The  situation  was  so  important  that  the 
professor  had  each  student  write  down  immediately  what  he  had 
seen  and  heard.  10.  A  majority  of  these  men  who  were  being 
trained  for  the  law  were  unable  to  give  accurate  evidence  of 
what  they  had  seen  and  heard.  —  Adapted 


EXERCISE  44 

Select  from  your  textbooks,  or  any  other  convenient  source, 
paragraphs  which  are  examples  of  the  following : 

A  paragraph  which  (i)  is  arranged  in  a  time  order;  (2)  is 
arranged  in  a  space  order ;  (3)  is  developed  by  cause  and  effect ; 
(4)  is  arranged  as  a  climax  (see  sect.  98);  (5)  employs  more 
than  one  means  of  securing  coherence. 

93.  Coherence  by  connectives.  In  most  well-constructed  para- 
graphs the  sentences  are  so  intimately  related  that  words  which 
are  purely  connectives  are  to  a  considerable  extent  superfluous. 
There  are,  however,  a  great  number  of  words,  phrases,  and 
clauses  which  are  especially  effective  in  giving  relation  to  ideas. 
We  should  note  the  following : 

1.  Conjunctions  :  afid^  but^  and  or.  These  words  are  frequently  used 
at  the  beginnifig  of  seiitefices.  Such  a  usage  is  sometimes  condemned 
on  the  ground  that  these  conjunctions  are  properly  employed  only  as 
connectives  of  words,  phrases,  or  clauses.  But  an  endless  list  of 
quotations  from  reputable  authors  could  easily  be  made  to  show  that 
they  are  used  to  aid  coherence  between  sentences  in  a  paragraph.  They 
should  not,  however,  be  employed  to  excess. 

2.  Conjunctive  adverbs:  if  though^  nevertheless^ for ^  because^  etc. 

3.  Connective  phrases :  in  conclusion,  under  the  circumstances,  in 
view  of  these  facts ,  on  the  whole,  etc. 

4.  Clauses:  If  you  will  co7isider  these  figures,  As  I  was  just  saying, 
In  line  with  this  point  of  view,  you  must  admit. 

5.  Echoing  or  repeating  the  essential  idea  of  the  topic  sentence 
or  phrase.  Macaulay  frequently  employed  this  method  of  obtaining 
coherence. 


IS4  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  45 

Show  how  the  italicized  words  and  phrases  add  to  the  coher- 
ence of  the  following  paragraph.  How  do  the  first  and  last 
sentences  help  to  weld  the  paragraph  ? 

Since  our  Automobile  School  is  the  largest,  best-equipped, 
and  most  reliable  one  in  the  country,  it  is  the  one  for  you  to 
enter.  This  statement  seems  to  us  to  be  justified  because  in 
everything  pertaining  to  automobiles  we  can  today  give  un- 
limited practical  instruction.  Our  opportunity  to  perfect  our 
system  of  practical  instruction  came  recently  when  we  were 
able  to  arrange  with  a  prominent  Detroit  firm  to  build  and  sell 
pleasure  cars  for  them.  In  addition  to  these  pleasure  cars  we 
are  building  commercial  cars.  As  a  result  our  students  now 
get  the  actual  experience  in  assembling,  block  testing,  and  road 
testing,  as  well  as  the  experience  in  the  garage  and  repair  shop. 
In  view  of  all  these  facts  we  feel  justified  in  claiming  that  ours 
is  the  only  school  in  the  country  that  gives  the  students  such  a 
variety  of  actual  experiences.  We  ask  you  to  investigate  our 
claim  and  compare  the  training  we  can  give  you  with  that 
offered  by  any  other  school.  We  believe  that  such  a  comparison 
will  prove  that  our  school  is  the  best. 

EXERCISE  46 

Copy  from  one  of  your  textbooks,  or  clip  from  a  magazine 
or  newspaper,  a  coherent  paragraph.  Underline  the  words  and 
phrases  that  help  to  give  your  selection  coherence,  and  be  ready 
to  show  that  the  sentences  are  well  arranged. 

EXERCISE  47 

Write  a  paragraph  on  a  subj  ect  of  your  own  choosing.  ( i )  Read 
it  over  carefully  and  see  if  you  can  use  additional  words  or 
phrases  that  will  make  the  relation  of  the  sentences  more  ap- 
parent. {2\  Rewrite  the  paragraph.  Bring  both  themes  to 
class. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      155 

94.  Emphasis.  Emphasis  requires  that  the  ideas  in  a  paragraph 
be  stated  in  a  manner  as  forcible  as  is  appropriate. 

95.  Necessity  for  emphasis.  It  has  been  said  of  a  well-known 
British  author  that  he  cared  little  whether  his  works  were  read 
or  not.  Certainly  such  an  attitude  would  be  unlikely  to  produce 
results  in  business  writing.  The  writer  of  a  business  letter  must 
make  an  impression  ;  a  selling  letter  .must  sell ;  a  letter  of  ap- 
plication must  secure  an  interview.  If  you  wish  your  reader 
"to  sit  up  and  take  notice,"  give  your  statement  emphasis. 

96.  Emphasis  by  proportion.  Sometimes  a  merchant  who 
wishes  to  call  attention  to  his  business  will  put  up  as  his  sign 
a  huge  boat,  watch,  cigar,  or  whatever  he  thinks  suitable.  By 
making  his  sign  large  he  calls  special  attention  to  it.  Again, 
if  he  is  having  an  unusual  sale,  he  may  take  an  unusually  large 
amount  of  advertising  space  in  the  papers. 

Thus  we  see  that  mere  space  may  at  times  serve  to  indicate 
importance,  and  this  is  as  true  in  the  paragraph  as  elsewhere. 
Each  idea  should  be  given  space  proportionate  to  its  impor- 
tance. This  does  not  mean  that  the  more  you  say  about  any- 
thing the  more  likely  you  are  to  impress  your  reader.  It  means 
that  the  idea  to  which  you  give  comparatively  the  most  space 
is  likely  to  receive  from  your  reader  the  most  attention  ;  in  other 
words,  the  attention  which  a  reader  gives  to  an  idea  will  probably 
be  in  proportion  to  the  comparative  space  that  the  writer  thinks 
it  worth. 

EXERCISE  48  —  Oral 

Try  to  estimate  the  general  effect  if  three  or  four  more  sen- 
tences had  been  given  to  the  description  of  the  personal  ap- 
pearance of  the  workman  when  he  first  applied  for  the  position. 
The  paragraph  given  below  has  emphasis  through  proportion. 

The  following  incident  illustrates  at  least  one  condition 
brought  about  by  modern  industrial  combinations.  A  man  in 
the  prime  of  life,  a  skilled  mechanic,  went  into  a  machine  shop 
to  apply  for  a  position.    Going  to  one  of  those  in  charge,  he 


IS6  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

inquired  if  they  needed  men,  and  was  informed  they  did.  At 
the  same  time  he  was  assured  that  he  did  not  have  a  chance 
to  secure  employment,  as  his  gray  hair  indicated  that  his  use- 
fulness was  in  a  measure  impaired.  However,  he  was  one  of 
those  men  who  can  readily  adapt  themselves  to  any  condition, 
and  realizing  that  he  could  not  get  employment  on  account  of 
his  gray  hair,  he  went  to  a  barber  shop,  had  his  hair  trimmed 
and  afterward  dyed  black.  He  then  returned  to  the  very  same 
machine  shop  and  secured  employment.  He  is  today  giving 
useful  service  in  the  employ  of  one  of  the  large  industrial  cor- 
porations and  bids  fair  to  continue  doing  so  for  many  more 
years.  —  Adapted 

97.  Emphasis  by  position.  A  second  method  by  v^hich  you 
may  give  emphasis  to  an  idea  is  by  placing  it  in  an  important 
position.  Such  positions  in  any  composition  are  the  beginning 
and  end.  You  can  now  see  additional  reason  why  the  topic 
sentence  should  come  at  the  first  of  a  paragraph  and  why  it  is 
often  wise  to  repeat  it  in  some  form  at  the  last.  Any  idea,  how- 
ever, that  requires  emphasis  and  that  makes  a  good  ending 
may  come  at  the  close. 

98.  Emphasis  by  climax.  A  third  method  by  which  you  may 
secure  emphasis  in  a  paragraph  is  by  arranging  it  so  as  to  pro- 
duce a  climax.  A  climax  is  produced  by  beginning  with  the 
least  important  idea,  following  this  by  ideas  more  important, 
and  thus  ascending  to  the  most  important  idea  of  all. 

Paragraphs  that  furnish  perfect  examples  of  climax  are  rare, 
but  the  principle  involved  —  leading  up  by  stages  to  the  most 
important  idea  —  is  in  common  use.  The  following  illustration, 
taken  from  an  advertisement,  shows  how  this  form  of  emphasis 
may  be  used. 

The  man  we  are  seeking  must  have  had  experience.  He 
must  also  be  a  worker.  There  is  a  good,  big  salary  connected 
with  this  position,  —  and  something  more  after  that,  —  but  it 
will  have  to  be  earned.  The  man  we  want  must  have  tact  — 
and  tact  with  us  means  much :  it  means  ability  to  read  char- 
acter, it  means  self-control,  it  means  readiness  to  command  a 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC     157 

difficult  situation.  But  more  than  this,  the  applicant  must  be 
able  and  ready  to  prove  that  our  goods  are  a  necessity  to  the 
trade ;  anyone  can  sell  goods  for  which  a  customer  is  already 
crying.  Above  all,  the  man  for  this  position  must  have  imagi- 
nation and  solid  character,  for  in  our  business  only  such 
qualities  can  bring  results. 

EXERCISE  49 

Select  from  your  reading  three  paragraphs  that  illustrate  the 
three  different  methods  of  securing  emphasis. 

EXERCISE  50  -  Oral 

Show  that  the  paragraphs  indicated  below  contain  the  prin- 
ciples of  emphasis.  If  you  think  that  any  of  the  paragraphs 
might  properly  be  made  more  emphatic,  be  ready  to  show  how 
you  would  do  it. 

1.  The  last  selection  on  page  143. 

2.  The  last  selection  on  page  144. 

3.  The  first  selection  on  page  151. 

4.  The  selection  on  page  154. 

EXERCISE  51 

Write  a  paragraph  on  one  of  the  following  subjects  and  be 
ready  to  show  that  your  theme  has  the  quality  of  emphasis : 

1.  My  favorite  study. 

2.  The  disgrace  of  incorrect  spelling. 

3.  Learning  to  cook. 

4.  Kite  flying. 

5.  The  best  sewing  machine. 

6.  Good  taste  in  clothes. 

7.  Why  everyone  should  learn  to  swim. 

8.  The  most  interesting  book  I  have  read. 

EXERCISE  52 

Write  a  paragraph  giving  what  you  consider  to  be  the  benefits 
derived  from  a  course  in  business  English.  If  you  can  do  so 
naturally,  use  the  climax  form. 


IS8  '  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

99.  Summary.  A  paragraph  is  a  group  of  sentences  arranged 
in  a  logical  manner  and  which  therefore  develop  one  central 
topic. 

Three  qualities  are  essential  in  a  well-constructed  paragraph  : 
unity,  coherence,  and  emphasis.  Unity  deals  with  the  choice 
of  ideas  ;  coherence  controls  their  arrangement ;  and  emphasis 
places  important  ones  m.  prominent  positions  and  gw^^  proportion 
to  the  paragraph  as  a  whole. 

100.  Connected  paragraphs.  **  Connected  paragraphs  "  means 
two  or  more  paragraphs  all  of  which  assist  in  developing  a  central 
topic,  and  which  are  so  arranged  that,  as  a  whole,  they  are  as 
much  a  unit  as  is  a  sentence  or  a  single  paragraph.  Thus,  the 
letters  on  pages  4  and  160  and  the  illustrative  examples  on 
page   162  are  each  connected  paragraphs, 

101.  Qualities  of  connected  paragraphs.  A  paragraph  may 
be  considered  as  the  expansion  of  a  sentence.  Similarly,  con- 
nected paragraphs  may  be  looked  upon  as  the  expansion  of 
a  paragraph.  In  fact,  it  will  help  you  to  understand  the 
essential  qualities  of  connected  paragraphs  as  a  whole  if  you 
sometimes  look  upon  the  group  as  one  expanded  paragraph 
made  up  of  shorter  ones,  just  as  each  paragraph  is  composed 
of  sentences. 

In  the  preceding  pages  you  have  become  acquainted  with 
the  essential  qualities  of  good  composition  in  general  and 
of  the  paragraph  and  sentence  in  particular.  With  the  aid  of 
the  following  summary  and  the  illustrative  selections  you 
will  readily  see  just  how  the  same  essential  qualities  apply  to 
the  longer  composition. 

102.  Summary.    Connected  paragraphs  must  have 

I.  Unity,  which  is  maintained  by 

(i)  having  a  topic  sentence  for  the  whole  composition; 

(2)  repeating  the  idea  of  the  topic  sentence ; 

(3)  keeping  a  fixed  point  of  view ; 

(4)  placing  distinct  ideas  in  separate  paragraphs ; 

(5)  avoiding  digressions. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHEiTORlC     159 

2.  Coherence,  which  is  maintained  by 
(i)  logical  arrangement  of  paragraphs; 

(2)  use  of  connective  words  and  phrases ; 

(3)  use  of  transition  paragraphs ; 

(4)  fixed  point  of  view. 

3.  Emphasis,  which  is  maintained  by 

(i)  placing   important   paragraphs  at   the   beginning  or 
ending ; 

(2)  beginning  with  an  interesting  statement ; 

(3)  using  the  climactic  form  of  arrangement. 

COMMENTS  AND  ILLUSTRATIVE  EXAMPLES 

103.  Unity  and  topic  sentences.    Frequently  a  topic  sentence 

suitable  for  the  first  paragraph  will  also  serve  in  a  general  way 
to  indicate  the  topic  for  the  whole  composition.  Each  of  the 
following  sentences  not  only  is  suitable  as  the  first  sentence  of 
the  opening  paragraph  of  a  letter,  but  also  indicates  broadly 
the  subject  matter  of  the  entire  letter  : 

1.  In  reply  to  your  letter  of  June  16,  I  wish  to  say  that  we 
cannot  consent  to  deal  further  with  your  present  representative 
in  this  section. 

2.  We  have  your  letter  of  July  23  asking  for  quotations. 

3.  On  May  5  you  sent  me  two  stencils  in  answer  to  a  previous 
inquiry  of  mine. 

4.  I  wish  to  call  your  attention  to  several  annoying  circum- 
stances that  have  arisen  in  connection  with  your  recent  ship- 
ment to  us. 

5.  At  the  suggestion  of  one  of  our  patrons  we  take  the 
liberty  of  writing  to  offer  you  the  many  facilities  of  this  bank. 

6.  You  will  find  inclosed  my  check  for  two  dollars  ($2.00) 
in  payment  of  my  annual  club  dues. 

In  the  letter  below,  the  first  sentence  suggests  the  topic  of 
the  first  paragraph  and  also  of  the  whole  composition.  The  first 
sentence  of  each  paragraph  gives  a  fairly  complete  summary  of 
the  contents. 


l6o  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


Dear  Sir: 

At  the  suggestion  of  one  of  our  patrons  we  take  the  lib- 
erty of  writing  to  offer  you  the  many  facilities  of  this  bank. 
Although  we  are  the  largest  financial  institution  in  the  state. 
we  are  careful  to  give  small  depositors  the  same  consideration 
that  we  give  those  carrying  large  accounts.   We  have  deposit 
boxes  of  various  sizes,  which  may  be  had  at  a  small  rental  for 
the  safe-keeping  of  securities  or  valuables.   We  allow  inter- 
est at  the  rate  of  2  per  cent  per  annum  computed  and  credited 
monthly  on  all  nonborrowing  accounts  of  $500  and  over,  which 
are  also  subject  to  check. 

You  may  conduct  your  banking  business  with  us  entirely  by 
correspondence  if  you  so  desire.   All  deposits  received  from 
you  by  mail  will  be  acknowledged  immediately.  A  statement  of 
your  account  will  be  mailed  promptly  the  last  day  of  each 
month,  with  canceled  checks.   Currency  can  be  sent  to  you  by 
registered  letter. 

We  are  glad  to  have  our  depositors  also  avail  themselves 
of  our  advice  regarding  investments.   By  our  assistance  many 
of  our  small  depositors  now  own  some  of  the  safest  securities 
on  the  market. 

We  can  assure  you  that  any  account  with  which  you  favor  us 
will  receive  our  careful  attention. 

Yours  very  truly. 


A  topic  sentence  must  be  a  natural  part  of  a  composition, 
and  should  be  omitted  if  it  has  to  be  forced  into  position. 
Sometimes  the  nature  of  a  statement  requires  the  omission  of  a 
key  sentence  as  an  introduction.  The  beginning  of  the  follow- 
ing composition  furnishes  no  clue  to  the  subject  as  a  whole : 

Coral  Builders  and  the  Bell  System 

In  the  depths  of  the  tropical  seas  the  coral  polyps  are  at 
work.  They  are  nourished  by  the  ocean,  in  which  they  grow 
and  multiply  because  they  cannot  help  it. 

Finally  a  coral  island  emerges  from  the  sea.  It  collects  sand 
and  seeds  until  it  becomes  a  fit  home  for  birds,  beasts,  and  men. 

In  the  same  way  the  telephone  system  has  grown,  gradu- 
ally, but  steadily  and  irresistibly.  It  could  not  stop  growing. 
To  stop  would  mean  disaster. 

The  Bell  system,  starting  with  a  few  scattered  exchanges, 
was  carried  forward  by  an  increasing  public  demand.    Each  new 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC     l6l 

connection  disclosed  a  need  for  other  new  connections,  and  mil- 
lions of  dollars  had  to  be  poured  into  the  business  to  provide 
the  7,500,000  telephones  now  connected. 

And  the  end  is  not  yet,  for  the  growth  of  the  Bell  system  is 
still  irresistible.  The  needs  of  the  people  will  not  be  satisfied 
except  by  universal  communication.  The  system  is  large  be- 
cause the  country  is  large. — Adapted  from  an  advertisement 

In  the  following  letter  coherence  is  obtained  by  so  arranging 
the  paragraphs  that  each  topic  is  put  in  an  appropriate  place 
and,  as  far  as  possible,  relates  to  what  follows  and  precedes  it. 


Dear  Sir: 

In  your  letter  of  November  27  you  do  not  give  the  depth 
of  the  clock  case  for  which  you  require  a  movement.   Please 
send  this  information  as  soon  as  possible.   We  suggest  that 
you  also  send  us  a  sketch  showing  the  outside  diameter  of  the 
minute  circle. 

If  the  size  of  your  dial  is  1  3/4  in.,  it  is  somewhat 
smaller  than  that  of  our  regular  stock,  and  we  shall  have  to 
prepare  a  special  dial  for  you.   This  will  mean  a  delay  of 
about  one  week. 

We  have  two  styles  of  the  same  movement:  first,  the  one 
which  we  use  in  our  own  clocks,  and  which,  being  equipped  with 
lantern  pinions,  enables  us  to  use  a  light  weight;  second,  the 
same  movement  with  solid  pinions,  which,  however,  requires  a 
heavier  weight. 

The  price  of  the  first  movement,  complete  with  pendulum 
weight,  lantern  pinions,  hands,  and  key,  is  S7.50;  of  the 
second,  with  solid  pinions  and  a  heavier  weight.  $9,   The  dial 
in  either  case  costs  $1.50. 

Our  medium  eagle  costs  $1  and  is  large  enough  to  suit 
most  customers,  but  we  sometimes  sell  a  larger  eagle,  which 
costs  $1.75. 

If  we  have  not  made  everything  perfectly  clear,  please  let 
us  know. 

Yours  truly. 


104.  Coherence.  The  first  selection  on  the  following  page 
shows  how  connectives  may  add  to  the  coherence  of  a  group 
of  paragraphs.  Notice  how  each  of  the  italicized  words,  but 
and  such,  implies  a  knowledge  of  the  preceding  paragraph. 


I62  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

"  He  is  as  solid  as  a  rock  "  is  the  popular  characterization 
of  the  man  in  whom  the  world  has  learned  to  confide.  How 
satisfying  it  is  to  hear  such  a  statement.  There  is  a  universal 
craving  to  meet  the  man  that  can  be  depended  on. 

But  the  world  has  no  place  for  the  man  whose  character  is  not 
fixed,  who  is  tossed  about  by  every  wind  that  blows,  ready  to  be 
influenced  by  present  surroundings,  only  to  be  driven  by  chang- 
ing surroundings  to  contradictory  ideas  and  contradictory  pur- 
poses. His  name  is  bandied  about  with  joke  and  with  gibe,  to 
his  discomfiture  in  life  and  to  the  shame  of  those  who  bear  his 
name  after  him. 

Such  a  man  was  John  Erskine,  Secretary  of  State  some  two 
centuries  ago.  His  greatest  gift  seemed  to  be  an  ability  to 
accommodate  himself  to  circumstances  without  regard  to  prin- 
ciples. The  well-earned  nickname,  ''  Bobbing  John,"  was  given 
him  by  his  associates,  and  as  *'  Bobbing  John "  he  is  known 
in  history.     His  character  was  not  fixed. 

105.  Emphasis.  In  the  following  selection  the  writer  wishes 
to  emphasize  the  point  that  it  is  necessary  for  a  retail  mer- 
chant to  satisfy  a  customer  when  there  is  a  dispute  over  an 
account.  Notice  the  large  amount  of  space  given  to  the  inci- 
dent of  the  returned  hat.  Observe  the  transitional  purpose  of 
the  second  paragraph. 

A  great  source  of  loss  in  a  retail  store  doing  a  credit  busi- 
ness is  controversy  over  disputed  accounts.  So  fraught  with 
serious  consequences  is  this  phase  of  selling  that  some  of  the 
most  successful  merchants  have  gone  to  extremes.  A  great  . 
merchant  in  Chicago,  known  all  over  the  world  because  of  his 
success,  impresses  upon  all  his  employees  the  importance  of 
treating  every  customer  as  if  the  customer  were  always  right, 
no  matter  whether  she  is  or  not.  A  leading  merchant  in  Boston 
takes  the  same  position,  although  he  states  it  in  a  little  different 
way.    He  says,  "  Let  the  public  think  that  they  are  '  doing  '  us.'' 

He  himself  carries  this  policy  to  an  extreme.  Walking 
through  a  department,  he  noticed  a  woman  who  was  much  ex- 
cited over  something.  He  asked  the  head  of  the  department 
what  the  trouble  was.    The  department  head  replied  that  the 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      163 

woman  had  not  purchased  her  hat  in  his  department,  though 
she  apparently  felt  sure  she  had,  and  wanted  to  exchange  it  for 
something  else,  saying  that  she  did  not  like  it.  The  merchant 
instantly  said,  "  Take  the  hat  and  give  her  credit  for  it." 

The  department  head  was  so  chagrined  and  angered  at  the 
injustice  of  this  order  that  he  immediately  resigned.  The  mer- 
chant then  drew  his  own  check  for  the  hat  and  gave  it  to  the 
head  of  the  department,  refusing  at  the  same  time  to  accept 
his  resignation. 

The  merchant's  wide  knowledge  told  him  that  some  day  the 
woman  would  find  out  where  she  bought  the  hat,  and  that  then 
for  the  rest  of  her  life  she  would  talk  about  his  store  and  its 
liberal  treatment  of  its  customers.  Therefore  he  settled  the  con- 
troversy instantly  as  described  above.  The  incident  was  retold 
so  often  that  it  got  into  print  and  became  famous  throughout 
New  England.  That  thirty-dollar  credit  for  a  hat  —  an  abso- 
lutely unjust  credit  —  probably  gave  his  store  $10,000  worth 
of  free  advertising. 

This  may  be  considered,  of  course,  as  an  unusual  incident, 
but  it  indicates  the  policy  that  the  merchant  must  adopt.  He 
must  settle  a  controversy  in  the  customer's  way,  provided  that 
the  customer  believes  she  is  right.  He  must  settle  it  in  her 
way,  even  though  she  is  not  right,  and  even  though  the  settle- 
ment causes  a  loss  to  the  merchant.  —  Adapted  from  Gould's 
*'  Where  have  my  Profits  Gone  ?  " 

EXERCISE  53 

Cut  from  a  newspaper  and  bring  to  class  a  group  of  connected 
paragraphs  illustrating  the  principle  of  unity.  Find  a  group 
that  seems  lacking  in  unity,  and  be  ready  to  show  how  you 
would  remedy  the  defect. 

EXERCISE  54 

Write  a  composition  of  several  paragraphs  on  a  subject  chosen 
by  yourself  or  selected  from  the  list  in  Exercise  51.  Observe 
your  work  closely  to  see  that  it  has  the  principle  of  unity. 


1 64  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


EXERCISE  55 


Make  a  list  of  the  connectives  which  help  to  unite  the 
paragraphs  in  the  letter  on  page  i6i. 

Read  the  letter  aloud,  omitting  the  connectives  between  the 
paragraphs.  Has  it  lost  much  of  its  coherence  ?  Now  read  it 
as  it  stands  in  the  book  and  notice  how  the  connectives  help 
to  join  the  paragraphs. 

EXERCISE  56 

Choose  from  your  reading  and  bring  to  class  (i)  a  selection 
in  which  coherence  is  obtained  through  arrangement  of  the  para- 
graphs, and  (2)  one  in  which  the  coherence  of  the  paragraphs 
is  assisted  by  connectives. 

.  EXERCISE  57  -  Oral 

Examine  the  theme  that  you  wrote  in  Exercise  54,  and 
be  ready  to  show  how  you  obtained  coherence  in  the  whole 
composition. 

EXERCISE  58 

Write  a  theme  of  several  paragraphs  in  which  coherence  is 
secured  both  by  arrangement  and  by  the  use  of  connectives. 
The  following  subjects  may  be  suggestive : 

1.  The  finances  of  all  school  activities  should  be  controlled 
by  a  member  of  the  school  faculty. 

2.  The  way  to  plan  a  camping  trip. 

3.  My  first  attempt  at  driving  an  automobile. 

4.  A  kitchen  garden. 

5.  An  interesting  lecture. 

6.  A  stump  speech. 

EXERCISE  59  — Ora/ 

Examine  the  letter  on  page  216  and  try  to  discover  the  exact 
point  which  the  writer  intends  to  emphasize.  What  means  does 
he  use  to  bring  this  point  forcibly  before  his  reader .? 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC     165 

EXERCISE  60 

Bring  to  class  an  editorial  from  a  newspaper  or  a  clipping 
from  a  magazine  that  seems  to  you  to  be  a  good  example  of 
emphasis. 

EXERCISE  61 

Write  a  letter  to  a  friend  who  has  just  graduated  from  gram- 
mar school,  urging  him  to  take  a  course  in  business  English. 

EXERCISE  62  -  Oral 

Be  ready  to  tell  the  class  a  story  which  will  emphasize  some 
point.    The  following  may  give  you  a  suggestion : 

1.  Children  should  be  taught  to  look  to  left  and  right  before 
crossing  a  street. 

2.  A  retail  dealer  should  have  one  price -for  all  customers. 

3.  Women  are  fitted  for  executive  positions  in  business. 

4.  Be  careful  when  you  make  written  statements. 

EXERCISE  63  —  Oral  or  Written 

Give  briefly  in  narrative  form  the  main  facts  regarding  the 
origin  and  growth  of  your  school.  Precede  your  composition 
with  a  short  outline. 

EXERCISE  64  —  Oral  or  Written 
Tell  the  story  of  the  growth  of  the  firm  in  which  your  father 
works  or  is  interested  or  of  some  other  firm  whose   history 
you  know. 

EXERCISE  65  —  Oral  or  Written 
Narrate  an  incident  that  will  illustrate  the  moral  or  point  of 
one  of  the  following : 

1.  It  pays  to  advertise. 

2.  Correct  language  is  a  road  to  success. 

3.  It  pays  to  study  your  automobile. 

4.  A  cheap  typewriter  is  a  costly  typewriter. 


1 66  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

A  good  knowledge  of  stenography  and  typewriting  often 
furnishes  an  opening  to  the  best  kinds  of  positions  in  business. 
Originality  of  thinking  is  needed  in  business. 
Slipshod  in  school  is  slipshod  in  life. 

EXERCISE  66 

Write  a  description  of  one  of  the  buildings  named  below, 
preceding  your  composition  with  a  brief  outline.  Be  particular 
to  point  out  any  special  advantages  of  the  building  for  the 
purpose  for  which  it  is  used. 

1.  The  high  school. 

2.  Your  church. 

3.  The  public  library. 

EXERCISE  67 

Describe  one  of  the  following,  commenting  on  its  suitability 
for  the  purpose  for  which  it  is  used  : 

1.  A  business  office. 

2.  Your  typewriting  room. 

3.  The  public  room  of  your  post  office. 

4.  The  waiting  room  of  your  railway  station. 

EXERCISE  68  —  Oral  or  Written 

Describe  one  of  the  following  articles  in  such  a  manner  that 
prospective  buyers  are  likely  to  be  interested.  Consult  adver- 
tisements for  hints,  and  picture  vividly  to  yourself  the  subject 
of  your  description. 

1.  An  automobile. 

2.  A  fountain  pen. 

3.  A  hat. 

4.  A  stylish  shoe. 

5.  A  book. 

6.  Any  article  in  which  you  are  especially  interested. 


FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC      167 

EXERCISE  69  -  Oral  or  Written 
Explain  the  fundamental  principles  of  double-entry  bookkeep- 
ing or  explain  how  algebra  differs  in  certain  ways  from  arithmetic. 

EXERCISE  70  -  Oral  or  Written 

Be  prepared  to  explain  clearly  to  your  classmates  one  of  the 
following : 

1.  The  steering  gear  of  an  automobile. 

2.  The  self-filling  device  on  a  fountain  pen. 

3.  The  arrangement  of  letters  on  a  standard  keyboard  of  a 
typewriter. 

4.  The  basic  principles  of  stenography. 

EXERCISE  71 

Explain  how  to  make  an  outline,  and  illustrate  your  explana- 
tion by  making  an  outline  of  a  talk  suitable  to  give  before  your 
classmates. 

EXERCISE  72  —  Oral  and  Written 

Be  prepared  to  give  a  short  talk  suggested  by  one  of  the 
following  subjects.  Bring  to  class  a  brief  outline  of  what  you 
intend  to  say. 

1.  Relate  an  anecdote  that  helps  to  show  that  it  pays  to  keep 
your  temper. 

2.  Describe  a  summer  cottage  so  that  you  are  likely  to  inter- 
est prospective  renters.    Beware  of  exaggeration. 

3.  Explain  the  working  principles  of  some  machine  or  appa- 
ratus useful  in  a  kitchen.  Make  your  talk  interesting  and  try  to 
show  that  the  article  you  are  describing  is  one  likely  to  be  of 
service  to  the  housewife. 

EXERCISE  73  -  Oral 

Present  a  brief  argument  for  or  against  one  of  the  following : 

1.  Free  textbooks. 

2.  One  session  in  your  school. 

3.  One  additional  period  a  week  for  your  favorite  study. 

4.  A  cadet  corps  in  your  school. 


i68  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


EXERCISE  74  -  Oral 


Present  a  brief  rebuttal  of  the  arguments  advanced  by  one  of 
your  classmates  who  has  spoken  on  some  subject  in  Exercise  73. 

EXERCISE  75  -  Oral 

Relate  an  incident  that  tends  to  show  that  it  pays  to  advertise 
in  newspapers. 

EXERCISE  76  —  Oral  or  Written 

Be  prepared  to  state  one  argument  for  or  against  one  of  the 
following : 

1.  The  sale  price  should  be  plainly  marked  on  goods  in  a 
retail  store. 

2.  Billboard    advertising   is  not    so   effective  as   newspaper 
advertising. 

3.  The typewriter  is   the   best  machine  for   general 

purposes. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER 

106.  Conventional  forms.  In  letter-writing,  as  in  everyday 
life,  there  are  certain  conventions  and  proprieties  that  every- 
body should  observe  :  no  gentleman  needs  to  be  told  to  remove 
his  hat  when  entering  a  private  room.  Fortunately,  most  con- 
ventions are  founded  on  common  sense,  and  this  is  true  of  the 
conventional  parts  of  a  letter.  The  Dear  Sir  of  a  business 
letter  may  seem  at  times  almost  useless ;  but  so  far  no  one  has 
been  able  to  suggest  a  better  beginning,  and  the  fact  that  Dear 
Sir,  like  the  other  conventional  parts  of  a  letter,  is  in  almost 
universal  use  gives  it  the  mighty  authority  of  custom.  Certain 
necessary  information  needed  in  every  business  letter  is  dele- 
gated to  the  almost  cast-iron  parts  known  as  the  heading, 
address,  etc.,  and  even  if  the  complimentary  close  Yours  truly 
may  seem  at  times  perfunctory,  no  one  has  yet  found  a  better 
way  of  ending  a  letter. 

But  if  there  are  certain  invariable  forms  in  a  business  letter 
that  should  be  followed  with  almost  mechanical  precision,  there 
is  in  the  body  of  the  letter  an  opportunity  for  the  display  of 
any  amount  of  individuality  and  ability. 

107.  The  paper.  The  size  of  the  paper  upon  which  business 
letters  are  written  varies,  but  the  sheet  most  widely  used  is  about 
81  by  1 1  inches.  In  filing,  indexing,  and  mailing,  many  busi- 
ness men  take  a  certain  form  of  letter  for  granted  as  the  regu- 
lar style.  This  usage  can  no  more  be  ignored  in  letter-writing 
than  can  the  metric  system  in  modern  chemistry.  The  quality 
of  paper  used  also  varies,  but  good  taste  seems  to  call  for 
white,  unruled  paper,  not  too  glossy  and  yet  with  a  surface 
sufficiently  smooth  to  prevent  ink  from  running  or  blurring. 

R  169 


I/O  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

The  stationery  of  discriminating  business  men  and  women,  like 
their  clothes,  shows  good  taste  when  it  gives  an  impression 
neither  of  cheapness  nor  of  extravagance. 

Business  stationery  has  an  engraved  or  printed  letterhead. 
Letterheads  vary  greatly,  but  contain  at  least  the  name  of  the 
firm,  the  business,  the  post-office  address,  and  the  century 
figures  of  the  year.  There  are  endless  additions,  such  as  names 
of  the  members  of  the  firm,  telephone  number,  cable  address, 
an  engraving  of  the  firm's  place  of  business,  etc.  A  simple 
letterhead  is  the  most  dignified  and  prevents  the  sheet  from 
appearing  as  an  advertisement  of  the  firm. 

If  a  letter  contains  more  than  one  sheet,  only  the  first  should 
have  the  letterhead.  After  that,  plain  paper,  usually  called  second 
sheets,  should  be  used. 

EXERCISE  1  -  Oral 

Be  prepared  to  give  your  opinion  on  the  following  topics : 
(i)  the  primary  purpose  of  a  letterhead ;  (2)  the  purpose  served 
by  placing  in  the  letterhead  the  names  of  members  of  a  firm 
or  of  the  directors  of  a  corporation  ;  (3)  the  use  of  the  letterhead 
for  advertising  purposes. 

EXERCISE  2 

Write  the  body  of  a  letter,  advising  an  acquaintance  who  is 
entering  business  and  who  is  a  poor  penman  to  take  a  course 
in  penmanship.  Give  reasons  for  your  advice  and  make  your 
letter  as  bright  and  forcible  as  you  can. 

108.  Parts  of  a  letter.  A  letter  may  be  divided  into  six  parts, 
each  of  which  merits  a  careful  consideration.   These  are 

1.  The  heading. 

r  introductory       ^ 

2.  The  ^  or  V   address. 

t  complimentary  J 

3.  The   salutation. 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  1 71 

4.  The  body. 

5.  The  complimentary  close. 

6.  The  signature. 

There  is  no  set  rule  for  the  relative  position  of  the  parts  of 
a  letter  or  for  its  exact  position  on  the  paper.  Several  forms 
are  given  in  this  chapter,  with  recommendations  as  to  their 
relative  merits.  Yoti  should  adopt  one  particular  form  and 
follow  that  consistently. 

Form  of  Business  Letter 


Heading 

Date 

Complimentary  address 
Salutation 


Complimentary  close 
Signature 

Initials 
Inclosures 


1/2  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

109.  Margins.  In  typewritten  letters  the  margins  at  left  and 
right  should  be  from  i|  to  2  inches  (lo  to  15  spaces)  in  width. 
They  vary  in  width  with  the  length  of  the  letter^  a  long  letter 
requiring  a  narrow  margin  and  a  short  letter  a  wide  one.  When 
a  letter  is  short,  care  should  be  taken  to  center  it  so  as  to  give 
the  page  a  symmetrical  appearance.  The  problem  of  placing 
any  letter  artistically  on  a  sheet  is  to  arrange  it  so  that  the 
margins  at  the  left  and  right  and  the  spaces  at  the  top  and 
bottom  will  seem  appropriate,  just  as  the  margins  at  the  edges 
of  a  framed  picture  seem  appropriate.  That  is  to  say,  in  plac- 
ing a  letter  on  the  page,  one  m.ust  take  into  consideration  the 
length  of  the  letter  and  the  size  and  prominence  of  the  letter- 
head. It  will  be  worth  your  while  to  try  to  set  up  on  letterheads 
some  of  the  letters  which  accompany  this  text. 

110.  Indentions.  A  common  indention  for  paragraphs  is 
about  one  inch  (10  spaces),  but  an  indention  of  an  inch  and  a 
half  is  not  unusual.  The  indention  of  the  lines  of  an  address 
should  rarely  be  over  one-half  inch. 

Miss  Katherine  McLaren 
526  Broadway 

Fitchburg,  Massachusetts 

The  block  style  of  writing  is  growing  in  favor,  owing  no 

doubt  to  the  use  of  the  typewriter.    In  this  style  indention 

is  omitted : 

Miss  Katherine  McLaren 

526  Broadway 

Fitchburg,   Massachusetts 

Some  writers  carry  this  idea  to  an  extreme  and  make  the  left- 
hand  margins  absolutely  straight,  thereby  omitting  the  inden- 
tions of  paragraphs  and  placing  even  the  complimentary  address 
and  signature  at  the  left-hand  margin.  There  is  no  indication 
that  the  public  will  ever  adopt  the  unmodified  block  style,  but 
the  modified  style  has  seemingly  come  to  stay.  At  present  the 
older  style,  with  indentions,  is  still  more  widely  used  and  in 
pen-written  letters  is  much  to  be  preferred. 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  173 

111.  Spacing.  Spacing  refers  to  the  distance  between  lines. 
The  body  of  the  letter  may  be  single-spaced  or  double-spaced. 
Some  writers  single-space  long  letters  and  double-space  short 
letters.  Others  adopt  just  one  kind  of  spacing  for  all  letters. 
In  any  letter  that  is  single-spaced,  all  paragraphs  are  separated 
by  double  spacing.  If  the  body  of  the  letter  is  single-spaced, 
the  complimentary  address  is  single-spaced.  If  the  body  of  the 
letter  is  double-spaced,  the  complimentary  address  is  double- 
spaced.  Between  a  period,  a  colon,  a  semicolon,  an  exclama- 
tion mark,  or  a  question  mark  and  the  word  following  on  the 
same  line  there  should  be  a  double  space  left.  Before  and  after 
a  direct  quotation  there  should  be  a  double  space  left.  Ten 
spaces  on  a  typewriter  are  equal  to  one  inch, 

112.  Punctuation.  There  is  a  strong  tendency  toward  the 
omission  of  end  punctuation.  By  end  punctuation  is  meant 
the  use  of  commas  and  periods  after  each  line  of  the  heading, 
complimentary  address,  and  envelope  address ;  thus, 

Miss  Katherine  McLaren, 
526  Broadway, 

Fitchburg,  Massachusetts. 

The  above  is  an  example  of  what  is  sometimes  known  as 
close  punctuation. 

The  omission  is  justified  on  the  ground  that  such  punctuation 
does  not  make  the  meaning  clearer  and  therefore  is  unnecessary 
in  business  writing. 

Miss  Katherine  McLaren 
526  Broadway 

Fitchburg,  Massachusetts 

The  above  is  an  example  of  what  is  sometimes  known  as 
open  punctuation. 

Model  Letters 
The  following  letter,  answering  the  advertisement  preced- 
ing  it,  is  a  satisfactory  model  for  pen-written  letters. 


174 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


"lylT" ANTED  —  A  boy  recently  graduated  from 
high  school,  as  stenographer  and  clerical 
assistant  in  importing  house.  Knowledge  of  the 
French  language  desirable.  Permanent  position 
with  opportunity  for  advancement.  "  B  &  W," 
He-Nild. 


^f.'-^z.^Ldy. 


^^zSt^js^I^^^TS-^^^^^iUi^^S^^^ 


^^zZ^iA-^-^-yz^ 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  175 

The  following  are  models  for  typewritten  letters : 

Modified  Block  Style 
(End  punctuation  omitted) 


14  Carver  Street 
Jacksonville.  Fla. 
September  11,  19 — 

The  Kopper  Chemical  Company 

Birmingham,  Ga. 

Attention  of  Mr.  Willis  R.  Strong 
Gentlemen: 

I  wish  to  apply  for  the  position  of  assistant  chemist 
advertised  hy  you  in  this  morning's  News. 

You  will  find  inclosed  an  outline  of  my  education  and 
business  training  and  copies  of  two  letters  of  recommendation. 

The  management  of  the  Jacksonville  Chemical  Company, 
where  I  am  now  employed,  does  not  know  of  this  application,  but 
I  am  sure  that  Mr.  Ray  T.  Rubens,  the  head  chemist  there,  will 
speak  in  my  favor  if  I  make  a  request.  My  reason  for  seeking  a 
change  is  the  greater  opportunity  offered  in  a  large,  high- 
grade  corporation  like  yours. 

Mr.  Felix  N.  Davis,  druggist.  Green  Street,  of  your  city, 
knows  me  personally  and  would,  I  am  sure,  give  by  telephone 
details  about  me. 

Yours  very  truly. 

GLS/ENR  ' 

3  inc. 


176 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Business  Letterhead 
(A  Circular  Sales  Letter) 


(I) 


.American  Lace  Paper  Company 

Akron,  OLio 


(2) 
(3) 

(4) 
(5) 


L 


(6) 
(7) 

(8) 

(9) 
(10) 


December  1 ,  19 — 

Willoughby,  Kent,  and  Company 

Albany,  New  York 
Gentlemen; 

By  the  inclosed  sample  of  candy-box  top  we  wish  to  call 
your  attention  to  the  excellence  of  American  "Paper  Products 
of  Distinction. " 

Our  product  sells  on  its  quality  and  merits.  The  paper 
is  of  refined  colors  and  of  the  best  quality,  suggesting 
neither  cheapness  nor  extravagance.  The  designs  are  artistic 
reproductions  of  dainty  laces  and  fine-textured  linens,  and 
the  workmanship  is  minutely  accurate. 

We  have  an  extensive  equipment  and  large  stock,  and  we 
are  able  to  render  prompt  and  efficient  service.  You  will 
find  our  prices  attractive,  particularly  so  in  view  of  the 
value  that  we  furnish. 

At  a  slight  additional  cost,  mats  of  the  style  inclosed 
can  be  embossed  with  your  name  or  trade-mark. 

Bear  us  in  mind  when  in  the  market  for  MATS,  BONBON 
CUPS,  LAYER  CARDS,  DIVIDERS,  and  PAIL  LINERS.   We  shall  ap- 
preciate a  trial  order  from  you. 

Yours  very  truly, 

American  Lace  Paper  Company 

by  W".  S^.  7yia.^kem.^i& 

WPM/ELM 
Inc. 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  177 

Conservative  Style 
(Note  indention  and  end  punctuation) 


52  Barclay  St. , 
Chicago,  111., 

Walter  C.  Lane  Company.  -^^^"^^  ^*    1^— • 

814  First  St. , 

Washington,  D.  C. 
Gentlemen: 

Please  send  me.  by  parcel  post,  the  following  articles: 
1   lb.  Black  Ink  Powder  #4  .  .  $1.15 
1/4  '  '  Red  Ink  Powder  #13  .  .  .   .60 

I  inclose  a  post-office  money  order  for  $1.75. 

Yours  truly, 
K/B  fcLm.&Q,  fC&m^tcyyi 

Inc.^ 


EXERCISE  3  —  Oral 

In  the  letter  on  page  176,  name  the  various  parts  that  are 
indicated  by  the  numbers  from  (i)  to  (10).  Be  prepared  to 
explain  the  purpose  of  each  part. 

113.  Heading.  The  heading  of  a  letter  contains  two  parts  : 
(i)  the  address  of  the  writer  and  (2)  the  date  when  the  letter 
is  written. 

If  there  is  no  letterhead,  the  place  for  the  heading  is  the 
right-hand  upper  corner  of  the  first  page.  It  extends  approxi- 
mately to  the  right-hand  margin  of  the  letter.  The  date  is 
always  the  last  part  of  the  heading.  It  contains  the  month, 
the  day  of  the  month,  and  the  year.    To  determine  the  exact 

1  This  form  may  be  written  in  full,  "  Inclosure,"  or  it  may  be  abbreviated 
and  written  "  Inc.,"  "  Incl."  or  "  Enc."  "  End."  If  two  or  more  inclosures  are 
to  accompany  a  letter,  the  fact  may  be  noted  thus :  "  2  inc.,"  "  3  inc.,"  etc.  or 
"inc.  —  2,"  "inc.  —  3,  "etc.  It  is  well  to  remember  that  many  business  men 
consider  it  sufficient  to  mention  all  inclosures  in  the  body  of  the  letter. 


178  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

position  of  the  date  when  using  letterhead  paper  in  a  type- 
written letter,  first  estimate  the  approximate  position  of  the 
body  of  the  letter  (that  is,  for  a  short  letter  the  date  should 
be  placed  farther  from  the  top  of  the  page  than  for  a  long 
letter  and  the  margins  should  be  wider) ;  second,  count  back- 
ward from  the  right-hand  margin  of  the  letter  the  number  of 
spaces  which  will  include  the  letters  in  the  date.  This  will  give 
the  correct  position  for  beginning  the  date.  This  position  should 
be  determined  by  the  typist  at  the  beginning  of  every  month. 

The  heading  may  occupy  one,  two,  or  three  lines,  the 
choice  being  decided  by  appearance.  Business  firms  generally 
use  their  own  stationery.  In  such  cases,  usually  only  the  date 
has  to  be  filled  in. 

The  following  facts  about  a  heading  should  be  noted : 

1.  City  is  not  a  safe  substitute  for  the  name  of  a  city,  though  it 
is  widely  used  when  a  letter  is  to  be  delivered  in  the  city  in  which 
it  is  mailed. 

2.  The  name  of  a  day  of  the  week  is  not  a  substitute  for  the  day 
and  month.    For  example,  Wednesday  is  not  a  substitute  for  Nov.  20. 

3.  The  year  is  best  given  in  figures  in  full.  Write  igi2  rather 
than  12  or  /12. 

4.  There  is  no  punctuation  between  the  month  and  the  day. 
Write  June  jo,  not  June,  jo.  This  does  not  affect  the  general 
rule  about  a  period  following  an  abbreviation.  Write  JVov.  jo, 
not  JVov  JO, 

5.  The  abbreviations  t/i,  st,  d,  etc.  are  not  used  in  the  heading 
after  the  day  of  the  month.    Write  /u7y  5,  1^14,  not  /u/y  ^th,  1^14, 

6.  The  abbreviations  that  may  be  used  for  the  names  of  the 
months  are  as  follows: 

Jan.  =  January  Apr.  =  April  Oct.  =  October 

Feb.  =  February         Aug.  =  August  Nov.  =  November 

Mar.  =  March  Sept.  =  September         Dec.  =  December 

7.  Abbreviations  for  the  names  of  cities  are  generally  avoided, 
such  as  Fhila.  for  Philadelphia,  or  N,  V,  for  Mw  York. 

8.  With  the  exception  of  the  and  of  in  such  names  as  "  College 
of  the  Liberal  Arts,"  every  word  in  the  heading  is  capitalized. 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER 

Letterheads 


179 


Telephone  Main  378 

THE  HATFIELD  COMMON 

AN  UNMUZZLED  WEEKLY  JOURNAL  OF  PROGRESS 

46  Colby  Avenue 

Boston,  Mass. 

St.  Louis 

Paris 

Berlin  S.W.  68 

31  Union  Square 

1  rue  Ambroise  Thomas 
Tte  Bon  MarcLe  of  Paris 

RitterstralJc  47 

Cable  Address^ ^^ 
*'  Bonmarcke" 

St.  Louis, 

JOHN  WANAMAKER 

PHILADELPHIA  NEW  YORK  PARIS 

EXERCISE  4 

Arrange  the  following  data  properly  in  headings  with  cor- 
rect punctuation  and  capitalization.  Make  any  abbreviations 
that  you  think  are  correct. 

1.  lebanon  missouri  carter's  block  January  i  1922 

2.  St  louis  march  9  1921    14  Jefferson  avenue  missouri 

3.  Washington  county  harrisburg  June  12  1918  Pennsylvania 

4.  105  woodward  avenue  august  15  1920  michigan  detroit 

5.  Westminster  street  bannigan  building  providence  may  4 
1923  rhode  island 


1 80  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

6.  chronicle  printing  company  november  8   19 17  27  union 
street  akron  ohio 

7.  bacon    cooper    company    July   3    19 19    minden    square 
benton  ohio 

8.  superintendent  of  documents  government  printing  office 
december  19  192 1  Washington  district  of  Columbia 

9.  September  4  1926  oldtown  academy  vanceboro  maine 

EXERCISE  5 

Make  up  a  letterhead  for  each  of  the  following,  using,  if 
possible,  actual  names  and  addresses : 

1.  A  business  firm. 

2.  A  dentist. 

3.  A  medical  doctor. 

4.  The  headmaster  of  a  public  school. 
6.  A  clergyman. 

6.  Yourself. 

EXERCISE  6  — Ora/ 

Be  prepared  to  answer  the  following  questions  with  regard 
to  the  heading : 

1.  When  is  the  period  used  ? 

2.  What  variation  is  allowable  in  the  use  of  the  comma? 
When  must  the  comma  be  used  ? 

3.  How  can  you  decide  at  what  point  to  begin  a  heading  ? 

4.  Which  of  the  following  abbreviations  are  or  are  not  used 
in  a  heading  —  st.^  d.,  Feb.,  Me.,  S.  Dak.  ? 

114.  Complimentary  address.  The  complimentary  address 
of  a  business  letter  consists  of  two  parts  :  (i)  the  name  and 
title  of  the  person  or  firm  to  whom  the  letter  is  written ; 
(2)  the  address. 

Frequently  only  a  general  address  is  given,  the  street  and 
number  being  omitted,  thus : 

Mr.  Douglas  G.  Crawford 
Chicago 

Illinois 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  i8i 

But  if  a  ''window"  envelope  (one  having  a  transparent 
insert)  is  used,  and  the  compHmentary  address  serves  also  for 
the  envelope  address,  the  complete  post-office  directions  are 
given,  thus  : 

Mr.  Douglas   G.  Crawford 
1177  Andover  Park 
Chicago,  111. 

The  place  for  the  complimentary  address  is  a  space  or  two 
below  the  heading  and  at  the  same  distance  from  the  left-hand 
margin  as  the  body  of  the  letter. 

Be  careful  to  write  a  man's  name  as  he  writes  it  himself. 
Do  not  write  ''  C.  A.  Archibald  "  if  he  signs  himself  '*  Charles 
A.  Archibald."  Such  abbreviations  of  a  Christian  name  as 
Geo.,  C/ias.y  T/ios.,  etc.  are  to  be  avoided ;  we  should  take 
time  to  be  courteous.  If,  however,  a  person  habitually  abbrevi- 
ates his  own  Christian  name  in  his  signature,  it  is  permissible, 
when  writing  the  complimentary  address  or  the  address  of 
the  envelope  of  a  letter  directed  to  him,  to  use  his  name 
exactly  as  he  writes  it. 

If  possible,  use  some  title  before  the  name,  for  it  is  generally 
as  important  as  the  perfunctory  but  no  less  necessary  introduc- 
tory greeting  when  you  enter  a  business  man's  office.  Be  sure 
you  use  the  appropriate  title.  If  the  addressee  (the  person  to 
whom  the  letter  is  addressed)  is  entitled  to  Honorable,  use  it ; 
if  he  is  a  doctor  or  a  dentist,  give  him  the  title  Dr, 

Common  titles  of  courtesy  preceding  a  name  are 

Miss  Messrs.  Esq.  (written  after  a  name) 

Mrs.  Dr.  Honorable 

Mr.  Reverend  Professor 

Miss,  although  originally  an  abbreviation  for  Mistress,  is  now  con- 
sidered as  a  complete  word  and  is  not  followed  by  a  period.  It  is  the 
title  of  an  unmarried  woman. 

Miss  Mary  R.  Simonds  Miss  Hattie  B.  Welsh 

Mesdames  (Mmes.)  is  the  tide  of  a  firm  of  which  the  members  are 

women. 

Mesdames  (or  Mmes.)  Smith  and  Lauriat 


I82  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Mrs,  is  an  abbreviation  of  Mistress  and  is  followed  by  a  period.  It 
is  the  title  applied  to  a  married  woman. 

Mrs.  John  H.  Robbins  Mrs.  Henry  R.  Johnson 

A  widow,  by  custom,  assumes  her  Christian  name.    In  signing  a 
legal  document  a  woman  should  use  her  Christian  name. 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  A.  Robbins  Mrs.  Mary  V.  Johnson 

Mr.  is  the  abbreviation  for  Mister.  It  is  the  title  to  apply  when 
no  other  can  be  used. 

Mr.  Samuel  Wilson  Mr.  Oliver  J.  Gumming 

Esq.  is  the  abbreviation  for  Esquire.  In  the  United  States  it  is 
practically  synonymous  with  Mr.^  but  good  authority  reserves  it  for 
lawyers,  justices  of  the  peace,  and  those  engaged  in  legal  or  adminis- 
trative work  who  have  no  distinctive  title. 

Mr.  Henry  A.  Black  or  Henry  A.  Black,  Esq.  (the  former  is 
the  more  common). 

Messrs.  is  the  abbreviation  for  Messieurs^  a  French  word  meaning 
*'  gentlemen,"  but  it  must  never  be  used  as  a  salutation.  It  is  used  as 
the  plural  of  Mr.  It  is  applied  to  a  firm  when  the  name  stands  for 
real  personality.  As  a  general  rule,  it  should  not  be  applied  when 
the  may  be  fittingly  placed  before  the  name,  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
is  little  used  in  business  as  a  title.  . 

Messrs.  William  Stairs  and  Sons 
(The)  Jordan  Marsh  Company 
Messrs.  George  A.  Curtis  and  Company 
The  Mellen  Publishing  Company 

Dr.  is  the  title  only  of  those  who  have  a  doctor's  degree.  The 
usual  titles  of  this  nature  are 

M.D.  =  Doctor  of  Medicine  D.D.S.  =  Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery 

LL.D.  =  Doctor  of  Laws  Litt.D.  =  Doctor  of  Literature 

D.D.  =  Doctor  of  Divinity  Ph.D.  =  Doctor  of  Philosophy 

Dr.  David  H.  Mack  (Doctor  of  Medicine) 

Dr.  William  A.  Neilson  (Doctor  of  Philosophy) 

Reverend  is  the  title  of  a  clergyman.  Courtesy  requires  that  it  be 
not  abbreviated  and  that  it  be  preceded  by  the.  Never  write  reverend 
immediately  before  a  surname.     Do  not  write  ''  Rev.   Brown  "  or 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  183 

"  Reverend  Brown."  If  you  do  not  know  the  clergyman's  first  name, 
write  ''  The  Reverend  Mr.  Brown."  The  best  form  is  ''  The  Reverend 
William  Brown." 

Professor  is  the  title  of  those  who  hold  professorships  in  colleges 
and  universities. 

Professor  James  Minton  Henderson 

The  word  is  applied  with  considerable  latitude  in  the  United  States. 

Honorable  is  a  title  applied  to  men  who  hold  or  have  held  important 
positions  in  the  city,  state,  or  nation.  It  is  applied  to  congressmen, 
senators,  members  of  a  cabinet,  ambassadors,  lieutenant  governors, 
mayors,  judges  of  state  or  federal  courts.  It  is  best  to  precede 
honorable  by  the  when  the  term  is  used  in  a  sentence. 

The  next  speaker  was  the  Honorable  William  Hamilton 

The  abbreviation  of  such  titles  as  Reverend^  Professor, 
Honorable,  Captain,  etc.  is  by  some  regarded  as  inelegant  or 
even  discourteous.  It  is  best  to  spell  such  words  in  full,  as 
they  are  intended  to  add  dignity  and  should  not  have  the 
appearance  of  being  slighted. 

If  the  person  addressed  has  more  than  one  title,  that  one 
should  be  used  which  is  appropriate  to  the  capacity  in  which 
he  is  addressed.  ''  The  Honorable  Henry  Minton  Carleton  "  in- 
dicates Mr.  Carleton's  federal  position  as  a  senator,  but  as  a 
member  of  a  college  corporation  he  might  fittingly  be  addressed, 
with  reference  to  his  standing  in  the  educational  world  as  a 
doctor  of  philosophy,  as  ''  Dr.  Henry  Minton  Carleton." 

As  a  general  rule,  two  ordinary  titles  of  courtesy  should  not 
be  used  with  one  name.  Write  ""  Mr.  Edward  N.  Burgess  "  or 
"'  Edward  N.  Burgess,,  Esq."  Do  not  write  "'Mr,  Edward  N. 
Burgess,  Esq!'  | 

Titles  that  come  after  a  name  are,  in  the  United  States,  usu- 
ally omitted  unless  they  give  real  information  or  distinction. 
Such  ordinary  titles  as  B,A,,  B,S.,  B,L.,  LL.B,  are  so  com- 
mon that  good  taste  excludes  them  from  an  address ;  but  other 
less  common  titles  are  often  used,  such  as  Ph.D.  and  M.C. 
Titles  indicating  a  person's  ofificial    position  and  serving  to 


1 84  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

identify  him  with  an  office  should  not  be  omitted.  Such  titles 
are  "  Superintendent  of  Schools,"  ''  Commissioner  of  Police," 
''Manager  of  the  Advertising  Department,"  etc.,  which  are 
often  a  necessary  part  of  the  envelope  address. 

Such  titles  as  headmaster^  phncipal^  presideftt,  and  super- 
intendent may  either  precede  or  follow  a  name.  If  they  follow 
the  name,  they  are  often  lengthened  into  a  phrase. 

Superintendent  W.  R.  Kempton 

Mr.  W.  R.  Kempton,  Superintendent  of  Schools 

115.  Abbreviations.  Abbreviations  of  titles  that  are  com- 
monly used  in  an  address  are  given  below  : 

C.E.  =  Civil  Engineer  L.H.D.  =  Doctor  of  Humanities 

D.D.   =  Doctor  of  Divinity  LL.D.  =  Doctor  of  Laws 

D.D.S.  =  Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery  LL.M.  =  Master  of  Laws 

Dist.  Atty.  =  District  Attorney  M.C.  =  Member  of  Congress 

D.Litt.  or  Litt.D.  =  Doctor  of  Literature  M.D.  =  Doctor  of  Medicine 

,         D.Sc.  =  Doctor  of  Science  M.P.  =  Member  of  Parliament 

^Z^Af^-D.V.S  =  Veterinary  Surgeon  Mus.D.  =  Doctor  of  Music 

F.R.S.  =  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society  R.A.  =  Royal  Academy  (or  Acade- 
Ph.D.  =  Doctor  of  Philosophy  mician) 

116.  Arrangement  of  complimentary  address.  The  name  and 
title  form  the  first  part  of  the  complimentary  address.  The 
second  part  is  the  post-office  address  of  the  addressee,  which  is 
usually  written  on  two  lines  but  may  occupy  as  many  as  good 
taste  directs.  It  follows  the  same  order  as  the  heading ;  that  is, 
street  and  number,  city  and  state.  If  the  street  is  omitted,  one 
line  is  usually  sufficient.  Thus  it  is  seen  that  the  complimentary 
address  usually  occupies  two  or  diree  lines. 

Mr.  John  B.  Small  John  B.  Small,  Esq., 

Girard,  Kansas  Girard,  Kans. 

Mr.  James  K.  Meader  Mr.  Jas.  K.  Meader, 

Commissioner  of  Highways  Commissioner  of  Highways, 

257  Broad  Avenue  257  Broad  Ave . , 

Omaha,  Nebraska  Omaha,  Nebr. 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  .      185 

Professor  Charles  W.  Brewer   Dr.  Charles  W.  Brewer, 
Brown  University  Brown  University, 

Providence,  Rhode  Island      Providence,  R.I. 

Messrs.  Ginn  and  Company    Ginn  and  Company 
15  Ashburton  Place         15  Ashburton  PI. 
Boston,  Mass.  Boston,  Mass. 

General  Electric  Company  General  Electric  Company 

Research  Laboratory  Mr.  A.  H.  Smith,  Director 

Mr.  A.  H.  Smith,  Director  Research  Laboratory 

Schenectady,  N.Y.  Schenectady,  N.Y. 


EXERCISE  7 

Explain  the  purpose  of  the  compHmentary  address.  Can  you 
think  of  any  mistake  liable  to  occur  if  it  is  not  accurate  ?  State 
which  of  the  following  abbreviations  are  incorrect  and  which 
correct : 

Penn.  Wyo.  Thos.  Rev. 

Me.  Md.  Geo.  Ph.D. 

Dele.  la.  Hon.  Cinci. 

EXERCISE  8 

Properly  arrange  the  following  data  as  complimentary  ad- 
dresses with  correct  punctuation  and  capitalization.  Use  any 
abbreviations  that  you  consider  allowable. 

1.  mary  e  leach  new  london  new  hampshire. 

2.  elihu  r  forbes  washburn  aroostook  county  maine. 

3.  a  r  hill  president  of  the  university  of  the  state  of  mis- 
souri  Columbia  missouri. 

4.  tremont  street  boston  mass  hough  ton  and  con  way. 

5.  wyckhoff    seamans    and    benedict   327    broad  way   new 
york  city. 

6.  j  f  Whitney  and  company  1 5  state  street  new  york  city. 

7.  narragansett   machine   company  pawtucket  rhode  island 
albert  a  beasley  assistant  manager.  ^ 

8.  lauriat  and  larson  room  14  power's  national  bank  build- 
ing Cleveland  ohio. 


1 86     .  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  9 

Choose  addresses  from  the  headings  in  Exercises  4  and  8 
and  write  the  compHmentary  address  for  a  letter  to  each  of 
the  following: 

1.  John  B.  Williams  (retail  hardware  merchant). 

2.  Samuel  L.  King  (doctor  of  medicine). 

3.  Louis  R.  Frost  (lawyer). 

4.  L.  J.  Mills  (justice  of  the  peace). 

5.  Rathbone  M.  Granger  (lawyer,  member  of  Congress). 

6.  John  W.  Haskins  (manager  of  merchandise  department). 

7.  George  T.  White  (clergyman). 

8.  L.  V.  Bragg  (dentist). 

9.  Lloyd  D.  Burns  (school-teacher). 

10.  Henry  V.  Barnen  (president  of  the  Intervale  Railway 
Company). 

11.  Elizabeth  L.  Seaman  (widow  of  John  L.  Seaman). 

12.  Mary  L.  Bunton  (wife  of  Dr.  John  L.  Bunton). 

117.  Salutation.  The  salutation  comes  below  the  compli- 
mentary address  and  is  begun  at  the  left-hand  margin  of  the 
letter.  Business  letters  are  practically  restricted  to  the  following 
forms  of  salutation  :  Dear  Sir,  Gentlemeft,  Dear  Madam,  Mes- 
dames ;  also  Sir^  My  dear  Sir,  Dear  Sirs,  Never  use  Messrs. 
as  a  salutation. 

The  salutation  in  a  business  letter  is  simply  a  form  whose  use 
custom  makes  almost  imperative.  It  does  not  convey  any  personal 
regard,  and  some  firms,  feeling  that  it  is  wholly  conventional,  omit  it 
altogether.  This  is  undoubtedly  too  great  a  departure  from  good  usage. 

Do  not  capitalize  dear  unless  it  begins  the  salutation. 

Dear  Sir  My  dear  Sir  Dear  Madam 

Dear  Sir  is  the  regular  salutation  in  a  business  letter  addressed 
to  one  man.  Although  some  authorities  on  business  English  object 
to  the  use  of  dear  as  absurd  in  letters  of  this  kind,  yet  it  has  become 
part  of  an  accepted  idiom  and  is  not  to  be  considered  as  distinct 
from  the  expression  Dear  Sir    Official  letters  of  the  government 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  187 

use  only  the  salutation  Sir,  without  necessarily  implying  censure,  but 
undoubtedly  in  the  public  mind  Sir  as  a  salutation  contains  something 
more  formal  and  stiff  than  Bear  Sir.  The  terms  are  not  synonymous 
at  present,  and  Dear  Sir  stands  approved  for  ordinary  business 
correspondence. 

My  dear  Sir  is  commonly  regarded  as  being  slightly  more  formal 
than  Dear  Sir. 

Gentlemen  is  the  plural  of  the  salutation  Dear  Sir  and  is  used  in 
addressing  firms,  corporations,  societies,  clubs,  etc. 

Dear  Sirs  implies  slightly  more  intimacy  than  Gentlemen.  The 
words  have  about  the  same  relative  meaning  as  Dear  Sir  and  My 
dear  Sir.    Dear  Sirs  is  going  out  of  use  .in  business. 

Dear  Madam  is  the  regular  salutation  in  a  business  letter  addressed 
to  a  woman,  married  or  unmarried.  It  has  the  same  significance  in  a 
letter  addressed  to  a  woman  as  Dear  Sir  has  in  a  letter  to  a  man. 

Madam,  which  approaches  in  formality  to  Sir,  is  generally  avoided 
in  business. 

Names  are  frequently  used  in  salutations.  Such  forms  as  Dear 
Mr.  Brown  and  My  dear  Mr.  Brown  denote  a  somewhat  intimate 
relation  between  the  correspondents.  It  is  often  held  that  the  dis- 
tinction between  these  two  forms  is  of  about  the  same  degree  as  that 
between  Dear  Sir  and  My  dear  Sir ;  that  is,  Dear  Mr.  Brown  denotes 
closer  intimacy  than  My  dear  Mr.  Brown.  There  is  little  doubt,  how- 
ever, that  the  forms  are  widely  used  without  appreciable  distinction  in 
meaning.  Such  salutations  as  Dear  Brown  and  Dear  Mr.  Brown 
have  all  the  sanction  of  good  usage  in  the  friendly  business  letter. 
In  employing  these  terms,  however,  the  writer  must  be  assured  that 
his  acquaintanceship  with  his  correspondent  justifies  their  use.  When 
such  salutations  are  used,  the  complimentary  address  is  often  omitted. 

Either  Mesdames  or  Ladies  is  the  proper  salutation  in  a  letter 
addressed  to  a  firm  composed  of  women. 

Gentlemen  or  Dear  Sirs  is  the  salutation  to  use  in  addressing  a 
firm  composed  of  men  and  women.  This  custom  is  analogous  to  the 
use  of  the  personal  pronoun  he  as  the  common  gender. 

The  colon  is  the  mark  used  most  widely  after  the  salutation  of  a 
business  letter.  Some  writers,  however,  prefer  the  comma.  Many 
persons  follow  the  punctuation  mark  with  a  dash.  The  colon  without 
the  dash  is  used  in  this  book  as  the  mark  most  widely  approved  by 
the  best  authorities. 


1 88  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

The  following  forms  illustrate  the  use  of  different  salutations : 

Mr.  A.  B.  Small  Mr.  A.  B.  Small 

Macon,  Miss.  Macon,  Miss. 

Dear  Sir:  My  dear  Mr.  Small: 

Messrs.  Sheffield  &  Wilson  Mmes. Sheffield  &  Wilson 
16th  &  Centre  Sts.  15  42d  St. 

Cleveland,  Ohio    >         New  York  City 

Gentlemen:  Ladies: 

John  Murdough,  Esq.  The  Postmaster  General 

Justice  of  the  Peace  Washington,  D.C. 

57  Harrison  St.  Sir: 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 
Dear  Sir: 

Mrs.  Jessie  Burroughs        Miss  Althea  Beck 
25  Falmouth  St.  42  Clay  St. 

Chicago,  111.  Sumter,  S.C. 

Dear  Madam:  Dear  Madam: 

EXERCISE  10 

Write  the  correct  salutation  for  a  letter  addressed  to  each 
of  the  following : 

1.  A  lawyer. 

2.  A  business  man. 

3.  A  gas  company. 

4.  A  department  store. 

5.  A  millinery  firm  the  members  of  which  are  women. 

6.  A  married  woman. 

7.  An  unmarried  woman. 

EXERCISE  11 

Write  the  correct  salutation  for  a  letter  addressed  to  each 
of  the  following : 

1.  Elizabeth  Walsh  (doctor  of  medicine). 

2.  Moore  &  Hadley  (dealers  in  hardware). 

3.  Lamson  &  Linnell  (dealers  in  furs). 

4.  Matthew  J.  Fallon  (Manager  of  American  Pen  Company). 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  1 89 

EXERCISE  12  —  Oral  or  Written 

Explain  the  difference  in  meaning  between  Dear  Sir,  My 
dear  Sir,  and  Sir. 

What  is  Messrs,  an  abbreviation  of,  and  when  is  it  used  ? 
In  what  cases  should  one  use  the  salutation  Dear  Madam  ?  Be 
able  to  state  orally  or  in  writing  the  exact  position  that  you 
consider  the  best  for  the  salutation  of  a  business  letter. 

118.  The  body  of  a  letter.  Begin  the  first  Hne  of  the  body  of 
a  letter  two  spaces  below  the  salutation  and  about  one  inch  from 
the  margin  of  the  letter.  Indent  succeeding  paragraphs  to  cor- 
respond. This  is  the  practice  in  widest  use  and  is  shown  in  the 
model  given  below : 

Model  Letter 


THE  COLLEGE  OF  BUSINESS  ADMINISTRATION 

OF 

RALEIGH  UNIVERSITY 

625    BOYLSTON    STREET 
RALEIGH,  S.C. 

ENGLISH     DEPARTMENT 

January  14,  19— 

The  Editor  Magazine 
Middleton,  Georgia 

Gentlemen: 

I  think  the  Editor  Magazine  published  some  time  ago  a 
series  of  articles  on  scenarios.   I  remember  some  of  these 
articles  which  made  a  very  vivid  impression  upon  me.   I 
should  be  glad  to  know  if  you  could  furnish,  from  your 
files.  Bay  a  dozen  issues,  each  one  containing  an  article  of 
value  to  one  who  is  writing  scenarios. 

A  friend  of  mine  is  working  along  these  lines  and 
seems  to  be  having  some  success.   I  feel  eure  that  the 
Editor  Magazine  will  help  him. 

Yours  very  truly. 
Head  of  the  Department  of  English 


igo  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Note.    The  following  methods  of  beginning  a  letter  are  widely  used : 

1.  Begin  the  first  line  of  the  body  of  the  letter  approximately  under  the 
punctuation  of  the  salutation.    Indent  succeeding  paragraphs  to  correspond. 

2.  Begin  the  first  line  as  in  i.  Indent  succeeding  paragraphs  one  inch 
or  more  without  reference  to  the  indention  of  the  first  line  of  the  body  of 
the  letter. 

The  left-hand  margin  of  a  letter  should  be  straight.  In  the 
typewritten  letter  this  is  easily  done.  The  right-hand  margin 
cannot  usually  be  made  exactly  straight  without  waste  of  time, 
but  it  should  always  approximate  to  a  straight  line. 

Separate  ideas  should  occupy  separate  paragraphs. 
.   The  first  sheet  is  not  numbered,  but  succeeding  sheets  are 
numbered  at  the  top. 

In  a  dictated  letter  the  initials  of  the  person  dictating  and  those 
of  the  stenographer  are  placed  below  the  letter  at  the  left  hand 
near  the  margin.  The  initials  of  the  person  dictating  the  letter 
come  first,  the  initials  of  the  stenographer  come  second ;  thus, 

MH/JB  or  MH  — JB 
H/B    or  H  — B 

On  second  sheets  there  may  be  placed  at  the  top  the  initials 
of  the  person  to  whom  the  letter  is  addressed,  the  date  of  the 
letter,  and  the  number  of  the  page. 

If  a  second  sheet  is  used,  care  should  be  taken  that  more 
than  one  line  of  the  body  of  the  letter  is  left  for  the  last  page. 

Inclosures  may  be  noted  at  the   bottom  of  the  last  page 

(p.  177). 

One  should  always  remember  that  a  business  letter  should 
be  so  marked  that  it  may  be  positively  identified  at  any  time, 
with  particular  reference  to  the  name  of  the  writer  or  dictator 
and  the  typist  or  transcriber.  Furthermore,  there  should  be 
sufficient  notation  to  enable  anyone  to  place  together  sheets  of 
the  same  letter  that  have  been  inadvertently  separated  in 
the  files. 

On  the  following  page  is  given  the  model  of  a  two-page  letter. 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  191 

Upper  Half  of  Letterhead  Sheet 


THE  NEW  ENGLAND  NITRATE  COMPANY 

45  MILTON  STREET 

BOSTON,  MASSACHUSETTS 

June  1.  1921 
Mr.  James  F.  Bartlett 
45  Rollins  Street 
Bedford,  Massachusetts 

Dear  Sir  : 


Upper  Half  of  Second  Sheet 


J.F.B.  .2.  June  1.  1921 


Very  truly  yours. 

District  Manager 


P/K 
Inc. 


192  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

119.  Abbreviations.  There  is  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to 
just  what  abbreviations  are  allowable ;  Mr.,  for  example,  is 
accepted  everywhere,  and  Y'rs  resp'y  condemned.  Abbreviations 
such  as  ami.,  acct.,  etc.  are  not  used  in  the  body  of  a  letter. 
You  must  not  write  *'  I  have  forwarded  your  acct.'' ;  write  '*  I 
have  forwarded  your  account y  The  commercial  form  &  must 
not  be  considered  as  a  regular  substitute  for  mid.  If  the  word 
Company  is  abbreviated  to  Co,  in  the  name  of  a  firm,  &  may 
be  used,  as,  Ginn  &  Co. ;  but  if  Company  is  spelled  in  full,  a7id 
is  preferred,  as,  Ginn  and  Company.  Co.  is  a  customary  and 
correct  abbreviation  in  giving  the  name  of  a  firm,  but  the  name 
should  be  written  as  the  firm  itself  writes  it. 

No  abbreviation  should  be  used  which  is  not  in  common  use 
or  which  is  in  any  way  ambiguous  or  vague. 

120.  The  complimentary  close.  The  complimentary  close  of 
a  business  letter,  like  the  salutation,  is  conventional  in  form  and 
meaning.  Like  the  salutation,  however,  it  may  be  considered  as 
one  of  the  small  courtesies  of  life  and  is  to  be  neither  omitted 
nor  overdone. 

The  regular  forms  are  Yours  truly  and  Yours  very  truly.  The 
equivalents  of  these  forms  may  be  used,  as  Truly  yours,  Very  truly 
yours,  etc.,  but  the  forms  first  given  fulfill  all  the  requirements  of  a 
complimentary  close  in  a  business  letter  and  are  the  more  common. 

Other  forms  of  the  complimentary  close  are  Yours  sincerely,  Yours 
very  sincerely,  Yours  most  sincerely.  Yours  respectfully.  Yours  very 
respectfully.  The  last  two  expressions  are  used  only  when  special 
respect  is  intended  or  when  writing  to  a  high  official. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  feel  that  the  ending  of  the  body  of  a  business 
letter  must  glide  imperceptibly  into  the  complimentary  close.  Such 
expressions  as  ''  Hoping  to  hear  from  you  again  in  the  matter," 
''  Thanking  you  for  your  order,"  ''  Thanking  you  in  advance,"  etc. 
are  out  of  place.  Indeed,  this  custom  of  linking  the  complimentary 
close  to  the  body  of  a  letter  probably  survives  from  the  more 
leisurely  business  methods  of  a  generation  or  more  ago.  Letters 
were  then  written  with  a  pen,  and  buyer  and  seller  were  usually  on 
a  footing  of   real   intimacy.     Correspondence  was  intended  to  be 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  193 

friendly ;  and  even  when  it  was  not,  it  adopted  an  obsequious  form 
of  close.  Such  a  form  is  used  ironically  in  Johnson's  famous  letter 
to  Chesterfield,  which  ends  as  follows : 

Having  carried  on  my  work  thus  far  with  so  little  obligation  to  any 
favorer  of  learning  ...  I  have  long  been  wakened  from  that  dream  of 
hope  in  which  I  once  boasted  myself,  with  so  much  exaltation, 
My  Lord, 

Your  Lordship's  most  humble, 
Most  obedient  servant, 

Sam  Johnson 

Such  complimentary  forms  are  in  modified  use  in  government 
circles.  The  complimentary  close  of  a  letter  from  the  British  Foreign 
Office  still  ends, 

I  am, 
Sir, 

Your  most  obedient, 
humble  servant. 

If  you  really  think  it  necessary  to  ask  for  a  reply,  say  so  in  a  com- 
plete sentence.  It  is  dignified  to  ask  the  favor  thus :  *'  I  hope  you 
will  be  able  to  give  me  your  reply  in  a  few  days  "  or  "  May  I  not 
hope  for  an  early  reply  .?  " 


121.  The  appropriate  complimentary  close.  The  complimen- 
tary close  has  a  direct  relation  to  the  salutation.  If  the  colorless 
Dear  Sir  has  been  used  at  the  beginning,  the  equally  color- 
less Yours  truly  is  appropriate  at  the  close.  One  must  not, 
however,  forget  the  important  part  played  in  business  by  friendly 
letters.  Voters  sincerely ^  Yours  very  sincerely ^  Yours  most  sin- 
cerely, and  the  equivalent  forms  Sincerely  yours  etc.  are  fitting 
as  the  complimentary  close  of  a  letter  in  which  such  a  salutation 
as  My  dear  Robinson  or  the  like  has  been  used.  Anything 
gushing  or  overdone  is  as  much  in  bad  taste  in  business  as 
elsewhere,  but  if  the  business  man  is  on  intimate  terms  with  his 
correspondent,  it  is  absurd  for  him  to  use  frigid,  meaningless 
terms  when  there  are  more  fitting  expressions. 


194  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

The  following  points  should  be  remembered  in  connection 
with  the  complimentary  close : 

1.  It  should  be  distinct  from  the  last  sentence  in  the  body 
of  the  letter. 

2.  The  first  word  only  should  be  capitalized. 

3.  It  should  be  followed  by  a  comma. 

4.  It  should  be  placed  immediately  below  the  body  of  the 
letter,  far  enough  to  the  left  to  permit  the  signature  to  be  well 
over  toward  the  right-hand  margin. 

,  EXERCISE  13 

1 .  Place  in  separate  groups  those  complimentary  closes  hav- 
ing about  the  same  form  and  meaning. 

2.  Arrange  the  following  forms  in  order,  beginning  with  the 
one  indicating  the  least  intimacy  and  ending  with  the  one 
indicating  the  greatest. 

Very  sincerely  yours,  Yours  sincerely. 

Yours  most  sincerely,  Yours  very  truly. 

Yours  respectfully.  Yours  truly, 

EXERCISE  14 

Make  a  complete  list  of  the  different  forms  of  salutation  given 
on  pages  1 86-188.  Under  each  give  a  complimentary  close 
that  may  appropriately  be  used  with  it. 

EXERCISE  15 

Write  a  suitable  complimentary  close  for  each  of  the  following 
letters  : 

1.  Ordering  merchandise  from  a  firm. 

2.  From  a  traveling  agent  to  the  head  of  his  firm. 

3.  From  a  high-school  graduate  to  a  business  man,  applying 
for  a  position. 

4.  From  a  business  man  to  a  woman  customer. 

5.  To  a  prominent  state  official. 

6.  To  the  Postmaster-General  of  the  United  States. 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  I95 

EXERCISE  le-Oral 

What  punctuation  mark  always  follows  the  complimentary  close? 

With  what  punctuation  mark  is  it  best  to  close  the  body  of  a 
letter  ? 

State  the  difference  in  meaning  between  Yours  truly  and 
Yours  respectfully, 

122.  The  signature.  A  signature  to  a  letter  is  the  name  the 
person,  firm,  or  corporation  is  commonly  known  to  use.  It 
may  be  written  in  ink,  with  a  pencil,  or  be  stamped  with  a 
rubber  stamp. 

The  place  for  the  signature  is  immediately  below  the  compli- 
mentary close,  beginning  at  such  a  point  that  it  will  extend  well 
toward  the  right-hand  edge  of  the  letter. 

Care  should  be  taken  to  make  the  signature  legible.  In  the 
business  letter,  which  is  usually  typewritten,  the  signature  is 
frequently  the  most  difficult  part  to  read.  There  is  no  good 
reason  why  a  signature  should  not  be  clearly  written.  Compli- 
cated or  bad  writing  will  not  guard  against  forgery,  as  handwrit- 
ing experts  say  that  a  plain,  simple  signature  is  more  difficult 
to  imitate  than  a  complex  one  full  of  meaningless  flourishes. 
A  fantastic  signature  is  not  a  sign  of  striking  individuality. 

During  the  World  War  an  order  was  issued  by  Rear  Ad- 
miral Wood  to  the  effect  that  in  signing  an  official  document 
an  officer  must  first  have  his  name  typewritten  and  then  write 
his  signature  under  it.  The  order  was  issued  because  so  many 
signatures  were  found  difficult  to  decipher.  Many  business 
firms  have  also  found  it  wise  to  adopt  the  same  idea,  placing 
the  signature  either  above  or  below  the  type^yritten  name. 

Yours  truly.  Yours  truly, 

Loran  C.  White  Lo'bam.  €.  W-kiZe^ 

Lcyu^yv  ^.  lO-k'ite^  Loran  C.  White 

It  is  best  to  write  out  in  full  one  given  name,  preferably  the 
first.  Initials  are  not  easily  remembered.  V^ntQ  John  G.  Hall 
rather  than  /.  G.  Hall  or  /.  George  HalL    The  practice  of 


196  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

signing  one  given  name  in  full  will  also  distinguish  between 
James  E,  Wilson  and  Jane  E.  Wilson,  whereas  /.  E.  Wilson 
applies  alike  to  either. 

In  writing  to  strangers  a  woman,  however,  *  should  also  dis- 
tinguish herself  by  placing  (in  parentheses)  before  her  signa- 
ture Miss  or  Mrs,  when  she  uses  her  Christian  name ;  thus, 
(Miss)  Mary  E,  Wilson,  {Mrs.)  Mary  E,  Wilson.  A  woman 
whose  husband  is  living  should  sign  her  own  name  {Mary  E.. 
Wilson),  but  ought  in  addition  to  write  her  married  name  in 
parentheses  {Mrs.  John  G.  Wilson)  either  directly  under  her 
signature  or  below  at  the  left.  Letters  should  be  addressed  to 
her  Mrs.  John  G.  Wilson.  If  her  husband  is  dead,  she  should 
sign  herself  {Mrs.)  Mary  E.  Wilson,  and  letters  should  be 
addressed  to  her,  Mrs.  Mary  E.   Wilson. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  in  signing  any  legal  document,  such  as 
a  promissory  note,  a  deed,  or  a  will,  or  in  signing  as  witness  to 
any  such  document,  a  woman  should  never  use  her  husband's 
name  nor  the  prefix  Miss  or  Mrs. ;  her  own  name,  Mary  E. 
Wilson,  is  the  correct  form. 

EXERCISE  17 

The  following  inquiry  was  sent  to  a  newspaper.  Write  the 
body  of  a  letter,  giving  what  you  consider  a  clear  and  correct 
answer. 

Should  a  married  woman  sign  her  own  initials  to  a  letter 
written  either  for  private  or  for  business  purposes  ?  I  have  always 
understood  that  a  woman  takes  her  husband's  full  name  when 
she  is  married.  One  who  is  considered  an  authority  told  my 
wife  that  it  is  wrong  for  her  to  use  my  initials ;  she  ought  to  use 
her  own.    Please  let  me  know  which  is  right.  —  S.  L.  D. 

EXERCISE  18 

Write  your  name  ten  times  as  you  would  when  signing  a 
business  letter.  Pass  your  list  to  some  other  pupil  for  exami- 
nation and  criticism. 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER 
Legible  Signatures 


197 


EXERCISE  19 

I.  Write  out  in  proper  form  the  following  addresses  and 
supply  correct  forms  of  salutation  and  complimentary  close. 

1.  Briggs  &  Co.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

2.  The    Misses   Smith's    School,   989   Carter   Road,   Glen 
Ridge,  N.J. 

3.  Francis  Waterman,  19  E.  12th  St.,  N.  Y. 

4.  Henry  S.  Pike,  Box  573,  New  Orleans,  La. 

5.  Division    Supt.,   New   York   Central  Railroad,  Albany, 
New  York. 

6.  Bangor  &  Aroostook  R.  R.,  Bangor,  Me. 

7.  E,  9231,  Statesman  Office,  Louisville,  Ky. 

8.  Mrs.  Henry  M.  Newton,  90  5th  Ave.,  N.  Y.,  N.  Y. 

9.  Rev.  John  R.  Powers,  13  E.  loth  St.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

10.  Right  Rev.  Paul  C.  Coddington,  The  Oaks,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Cal. 

11.  Robt.  W.  Norton,  Lawyer,  963  Pike  St.,  Denver,  Colo. 

12.  Prof.  Harvey  J.  Huntington,  Univ.  of  Penna.,  Phila.,  Pa. 

13.  T.  H.  Cogswell,  President  of  Univ.  of  Wisconsin,  Madi- 
son, Wis. 

14.  The  Gift  Shop,  Park  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 


iq8 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


15.  Warner-Hall  Light  Co.,  Duluth,  Minn. 

16.  The  Cross  Co.,  Inc.,  Commerce  Bldg.,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

17.  Miss  Josephine  W.  Cowan,  Hotel  Belmont,  Dallas,  Tex. 

18.  Hon.  J.  B.  Taylor,  Wash.,  D.  C. 

19.  Senator  Henry  R.  Brice,  Springfield,  111.,  Capitol  Building. 

20.  Messrs.  Porter  &  Wilson,  Dubuque,  la. 

21.  The  Browning  Realty  Ass'n,  Washington  Ave.,  Toledo,  O. 

22.  Dr.    Thos.    R.    Neville,    Rm.    920,    Blake    Bldg.,    Des 
Moines,  la. 

2.  Write  out  ten  forms  of  the  complimentary  close.  Mark 
with  an  X  those  which  are  commonly  used. 

123.  Folding  a  letter.  A  business  letter,  as  has  been  said, 
is  written  on  paper  about  S^  x  11  inches.  It  should  be  folded 
to  fit  the  appropriate  envelope  and  so  as  to  be  readily  unfolded 
by  the  reader. 

The  following  directions  will  give  the  desired  result : 

1.  Place  the  sheet  flat  on  the  desk. 

2.  Fold  the  sheet  from  the  bottom  toward  the  top,  bringing  the 
lower  edge  not  quite  up  to  the  top.  This  will  bring  the  crease  a  little 
below  the  middle  of  the  sheet. 

3.  Make  a  fold  from  right  to  left  a  little  less  than  one  third  of  the 
width  of  the  sheet. 

4.  Fold  from  left  to  right  so  that  the  upper  right-hand  edge  will 
project  slightly. 

5.  Place  the  envelope  on  the  left-hand  side  of  the  letter  with  the 
addressed  side  to  the  desk  and  the  flap  toward  the  letter.  The  letter 
may  now  be  placed  correctly  in  the  envelope. 


1 

2 

/ 

/ 

5 

i 
1 

: 

J 

1 

4 

/ 

J 

...J      ■ 

i 

L 

If  a  "  window ''  envelope  is  used,  the  letter  must  be  folded 
to  place  the  complimentary  address  against  the  transparency. 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  199 

124.  The  envelope.  The  envelope  used  in  commercial  corre- 
spondence varies  in  size.  The  Post-Office  Department  sells  a 
white  stamped  envelope,  officially  known  as  No.  5,  that  is 
used  a  great  deal  in  business,  as  it  is  of  a  very  convenient 
size,  about  3i  x  6$  inches.  White  is  the  color  almost  univer- 
sally used,  but  some  firms  prefer  an  envelope  of  a  distinctive 
color  as  a  form  of  individuality.  Good  taste  requires  that  the 
writing  paper  and  envelope  harmonize  in  color.  Loud  colors 
are  usually  considered  vulgar.  An  envelope  of  cheap  quality 
or  appearance  is  to  be  avoided. 

The  name,  with  titles,  should  be  exactly  like  that  in  the 
complimentary  address.  The  rest  of  the  envelope  address 
should  contain  all  that  the  complimentary  address  contains, 
and  as  much  more  as  is  required  to  make  certain  the  delivery 
of  the  letter  at  the  place  desired. 

If  a  *'  window  "  envelope  is  used,  the  complimentary  address 
serves  also  as  the  envelope  address. 

The  following  information  may  be  placed  in  the  lower  left- 
hand  corner  :  Personal,  Please  forward,  etc. 

Custom  restricts  the  regular  address  to  not  more  than  four 
lines.  If  specific  directions  clearly  require  five  lines  or  more,  the 
unusual  part  of  the  address  may  be  placed  in  the  lower  left-hand 
corner,  provided  that  Personal  or  some  such  expression  is  not 
already  there.  This  part  of  the  address  may  include  Care  of, 
or  clo,  the  number  of  the  post-office  box,  the  name  of  the 
t)uilding,  the  number  of  the  room  in  the  buildmg,  the  name  of 
the  department  in  the  firm,  etc. 

The  first  and  second  complimentary  addresses  on  page  184 
may  appear  on  the  envelope  as  follows : 

Mr.  John  B.  Small 
Please  forward  Girard,  Kansas 

James  K.  Meader,  Esq. 

Commissioner  of  Highways 
257  Broad  Ave . 
Box  478  Omaha,  Nebr. 


200  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

The  United  States  Official  Postal  Guide  contains  the  fol- 
lowing directions : 

Use  ink  in  addressing  letters  and  other  mail  matter. 

Write  plainly  the  name  of  the  person  addressed,  street  and 
number,  or  number  of  rural  route,  post  office,  and  state  in  full. 

Place  your  name  and  address  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner 
of  the  envelope  or  package. 

Follow  the  model  shown  below.  If  the  letter  or  other  piece 
of  mail  matter  is  not  delivered,  it  will  be  returned  to  you. 

The  Post-Office  Department  recommends  the  following  form 
as  correct  for  the  address  on  the  envelope : 

Model  Form  of  Address  for  Letters 


AFTER   -  -   DAYS    RETURN    TO 

JOHN  C.  SMITH 

1216  State  St. 
wilkesville,  n.y. 

Stamp 

Mr. 

Frank  B.   Jones 
2116  Front  Street 
Oswego 
Ohio 

In  one  year  more  than  fifteen  million  pieces  of  mail  matter 
were  sent  to  the  Division  of  Dead  Letters.  A  large  proportion 
of  these  could  not  be  delivered  because  of  carelessness  in 
writing  addresses. 

The  practice  of  some  business  concerns  of  omitting  street 
numbers  etc.  from  their  stationery  and  advertisements  results 
in  increasing  the  volume  of  insufficiently  addressed  mail. 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER 


20I 


125.  Position  of  the  envelope  address.    The  name  should  be 
written  somewhat  below  a  line  dividing  the  envelope  equally 


lengthwise,  and  there  should  be  approximately  equal  spaces  be- 
tween the  ends  of  the  lines  and  the  edges  of  the  envelope.  In 
other  words,  the  middle  of  the  name  should  be  just  below  the 
intersection  of  diagonal  lines  joining  the  opposite  corners  of 
the  envelope. 

Indented  Style 


Each  succeeding  line  of  the  address  is  begun  farther  to  the 
right  than  the  one  above.  Many  firms  require  this  indention  to 
be  so  arranged  that  a  straightedge  will  touch  the  beginning 
of  each  line.    How  much  the  lines  should  be  indented  varies. 


202  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

The  lines  should  be  separated  by  single  or  double  spaces. 
If  the  address  is  not  more  than  three  lines,  double  spacing 
is  preferable. 

When  complete  with  address,  stamp,  return  notice,  etc.,  the 
face  of  the  envelope  should  appear  balanced  and  nothing  should 
seem  awkwardly  placed. 

Block  Style 


126.  The  stamp.  A  stamp  may  be  inclosed  when  a  letter 
requires  a  reply  that  is  distinctly  a  favor  ;  but  it  is  better  to 
inclose  a  self-addressed  stamped  envelope,  as  this  removes  the 
possibility  of  a  mistake  in  the  address  on  the  reply.  Many  firms, 
however,  regard  an  inclosed  stamp  or  envelope  as  a  nuisance. 
They  consider  the  labor  of  caring  for  the  inclosed  stamp  to 
be  more  than  it  is  worth,  and  they  prefer  to  use  their  own 
envelopes. 

127.  Hints  for  addressing  envelopes.  The  following  points 
are  worthy  of  consideration  in  addressing  an  envelope : 

1.  The  sign  ^/q  is  allowable  for  care  of\  as,  ^o  John  G.  Hall 
&*  Co. 

2.  Do  not  use  the  sign  #  before  a  street  number.  Write  22  Gray 
Street,  not  #22  Gray  Street. 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  203 

3.  It  is  better  to  capitalize  Street,  Avenue,  etc.  22  Gray  Street 
is  preferable  to  22  Gray  street. 

4.  Street,  Avenue,  etc.  may  be  abbreviated ;  thus,  St.,  Ave. 

5.  The  abbreviations  of  the  names  of  states  should  be  written  with 
care.  It  is  better  to  spell  in  full  the  name  of  a  state  unless  it  is  a 
long  word  like  Massachusetts  or  Pennsylvania. 

The  postal  authorities  do  not  abbreviate  the  following : 
Oregon  Samoa  Alaska  Guam  Iowa 

Hawaii  Maine  Idaho  Utah  Ohio 

Some  approved  abbreviations  for  names  of  states  are  as 
follows : 


Cal.  (Calif.) 

Kan.  (Kans.) 

Neb.  (Nebr.) 

W.Va. 

Col.  (Colo.) 

Ky.  (Ken.) 

Okla. 

Wis. 

111.  (Ills.) 

Mont. 

Pa.  (Penna.) 

Wyo. 

EXERCISE  20 

1.  Write  a  business  letter  on  any  subject  of  your  own 
choosing  or  select  one  of  the  following  subjects : 

1.  Order  a  carload  of  flour  from  James  Miller  and  Company, 
supplying  necessary  data  yourself. 

2.  Write  to  a  firm  dealing  in  furniture,  asking  prices  on 
mahogany  and  oak  dining  tables. 

3.  Order  a  book. 

2.  Draw  the  outlines  of  two  envelopes  of  approximately  the 
size  of  those  commonly  used  for  business  correspondence. 
Address  one  in  the  indented  style  and  the  other  in  the  block 
style. 

EXERCISE  21 

Pass  your  letter  written  as  directed  in  Exercise  20  to  some 
other  student  for  examination.  Examine  the  letter  you  receive 
for  criticism  according  to  the  following  points  : 

1.  A  business  letter  should  obey  the  conventions. 

2.  It  should  have  a  definite  purpose. 

3.  It  should  be  clear  and  to  the  point. 


204  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

4.  It  should  be  courteous  and,  so  far  as  possible,  convey  a 
pleasing  impression. 

6.  It  should  be  correct  in  form,  spelling,  punctuation,  gram- 
mar, and  composition. 

Make  a  written  criticism  of  the  letter  you  have  examined 
and  return  the  letter  v^ith  the  criticism. 

Rewrite  your  own  letter,  profiting  by  the  criticisms  you  have 
received. 

128.  The  definite  purpose  of  a  business  letter.  Business 
letters  may  be  divided  into  two  great  classes  :  the  buying  letter 
and  the  selling  letter.  The  selling  letter  is  usually  considered 
the  more  important,  for  a  person  is  primarily  in  business  to  sell. 

There  are  really  as  many  kinds  of  letters  as  there  are  phases 
of  business ;  but  as  buying  and  selling  are  the  fundamentals  of 
commercial  life,  so  most  business  letters  deal  directly  or  indirectly 
with  one  of  these  matters. 

Business  letters  are  written  to  accomplish  certain  definite 
purposes.  A  selling  letter  that  does  not  make  a  sale,  a  letter 
of  application  that  does  not  get  the  place  for  the  applicant,  and 
a  dunning  letter  that  does  not  result  in  a  collection  are  all,  at 
least  for  the  time  being,  failures.  In  the  last  analysis,  form, 
style,  grammar,  everything,  are  only  means  for  making  an  effec- 
tive letter.  A  business  man  would  a  hundred  times  prefer  the 
letter  that  sells,  even  with  a  grammatical  error  in  it,  to  the  one 
correct  in  composition  which  is  thrown  unheeded  into  the  re- 
cipient's wastebasket.  But  one  should  always  remember  that 
an  effective  letter  full  of  errors  in  composition  and  grammar 
is  effective  not  because,  but  in  spite  of,  these  errors.  A  lame 
runner  may  possibly  win  a  race,  but  nobody  thinks  the  runner's 
victory  is  due  to  lameness. 

EXERCISE  22 

Make  a  careful  outline  (pp.  139-142)  summarizing  what  has 
been  said  in  the  preceding  pages  about  the  form  of  a  letter. 
The  following  suggestions  may  be  helpful : 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  205 

The  Form  of  a  Leti'er 

I.  The  paper 

1.  Quality 

2.  Pages 

11.  Parts  of  a  letter 

1.  Heading 

a.  Position 

b.  Parts 

c.  Punctuation 

2.  Complimentary  address 

3.  Salutation 

4.  Body 

5.  Complimentary  close 

6.  Signature 

III.  Folding 

IV.  Envelope 

129.  Laws  of  composition  in  letter-writing.  In  the  body  of 
a  letter  you  will  have  to  use  your  knowledge  of  grammar  and 
the  laws  of  composition.  The  use  of  words,  and  the  structure 
of  sentences  and  paragraphs,  demand  close  attention.  Unity, 
coherence,  and  emphasis  are  the  three  great  qualities  that  you 
must  give  your  letters.  Without  them  your  letters  cannot  have 
force. 

EXERCISE  23 

Make  a  brief  outline  summarizing  the  Essentials  of  Good 
Expression  in  a  letter  as  suggested  in  Chapters  II,  III,  IV,  and 
V.  Use  the  following  main  headings  :  Grammar,  Punctuation, 
Spelling,  Words,  Fundamental  Qualities. 

On  the  next  page  is  given  an  outline  that  suggests  a  detailed 
method  of  criticizing  letters.  When  estimating  the  merit  of  a 
letter,  you  should  check  each  item  in  what  you  consider  the 
appropriate  column.  After  that,  look  over  your  checks  and 
assign  to  the  letter  as  a  whole  the  grade  of  good,  fair,  or 
poor. 


2o6 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


A  Method  of  Criticizing  a  Letter 


I.  Mechanics  of  the  Letter 

1.  Paper 

2.  Ink 

3.  Arrangement  ^ 

a.  Heading 

b.  Complimentary  address 

c.  Salutation 

d.  Body 

e.  Complimentary  close 

f.  Signature 

g.  Spacings 
h.  Margins 

II.  Grammar 

III.  Spelling 

IV.  Punctuation 

V.  Style  or  Expression 

1.  Sentences 

a.  Unity 

b.  Coherence 

c.  Emphasis 

d.  Euphony 

e.  Length 

2.  Paragraph 

a.  Unity 

b.  Coherence 

c.  Emphasis 

d.  Euphony 

e.  Length 

VI.  The  Letter  as  a  Whole 

1.  Unity 

2.  Coherence 

3.  Emphasis 

4.  Point  of  view 

5.  Clearness 

6.  Interest 

7.  Personal  touch 


8.  Length 


VII.  Grade  of  Letter 


Good      Fair      Poor 


Good] 
Fair  j^ 
Poor 


Draw  a  line  through  two  of  these 
words 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER  207 

EXERCISE  24 

Obtain  three  business  letters  written  on  business  stationery. 
Make  three  copies  of  ''  A  Method  of  Criticizing  a  Letter  "  and 
on  each  check  one  of  the  letters.  Mark  the  letters  i,  2,  and  3 
in  the  order  of  their  merit,  numbering  the  best  letter  i . 

EXERCISE  25 -Oral 

One  of  the  first  business  letters  that  you  may  be  called  on  to 
write  is  the  letter  of  application.  Try  to  show  to  the  class  why 
it  may  be  considered  a  selling  letter. 

Show  that  when  a  business  man  writes  a  letter  in  which  he 
offers  to  employ  someone,  he  is  writing  a  buying  letter. 

Examine  the  letters  that  follow  the  advertisement  given  below 
and  be  ready  to  point  out  any  important  omissions  in  the  first 
letter.  Give  your  reasons  for  preferring  one  of  the  letters  as 
the  more  suitable  answer. 

Advertisement 

"VXT" ANTED  —  First-class,  experienced  book- 
keeper  who  is  also  an  accomplished  sten- 
ographer. Address  in  own  handwriting,  giving 
age,  experience,  and  salary  expected.  Lauriat  & 
Edwards,  Box  1842,  Topeka. 

Gentlemen  : 

I  wish  to  apply  for  the  position  in  your  ad. 

I  graduated  from  the  Central  High  School,  where 
I  took  the  commercial  course  and  obtained  honors. 
I  have  inclosed  letters  of  recommendation  from 
Principal  A.  M.  Hadley  and  Mr.  W.  C.  Bryant,  head 
of  the  Commercial  Department. 

You  probably  know  both  of  these  men,  who  are 
well  known  to  big  business  men. 

I  should  expect  twelve  dollars  a  week  to  begin 
with. 

Hoping  to  hear  from  you  favorably,  I  remain. 

Yours  sincerely 

Lioyci   B.    /CeA^ 


2o8  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Gentlemen  : 

I  should  like  to  be  considered  an  applicant  for 
the  position  of  bookkeeper  which  you  advertise  in 
this  morning's  Globe. 

I  am  twenty-four  years  of  age,  and  a  graduate 
of  the  Central  Public  High  School.  The  first  three 
years  after  leaving  school,  I  worked  as  billing 
clerk  for  Hayden  and  Company,  Medford  Wharf,  Med- 
ford.  Since  leaving  Hayden  and  Company,  I  have 
been  assistant  bookkeeper  with  Melville  Morton  and 
Company,  Coal  Merchants,  River  Street,  Medford.  In 
the  forenoons  I  have  acted  as  Mr.  Morton's  secre- 
tary, and  can  take  dictation  at  the  rate  of  125 
words  a  minute. 

You  will  find  inclosed  a  copy  of  a  testimonial 
that  Hayden  and  Company  gave  me  when  I  left  their 
employ;  and  Mr.  Morton  informs  me  that  he  will  be 
glad  to  answer  any  inquiries  that  you  may  care  to 
make  about  me.  His  office  telephone  number  is 
Main  660-Y. 

I  believe  that  I  am  an  efficient  bookkeeper  and 
reliable  stenographer.  I  should  expect  a  salary 
at  the  beginning  of  twenty-three  dollars  a  week. 
Yours  respectfully, 

EXERCISE  26  -  Oral 
Criticize  Lloyd  B.  Kent's  letter  with  reference  to  his  use 
of  the  pronoun  /.  What  have  you  to  say  about  the  coherence 
of  the  sentences  ?  Examine  closely  the  punctuation. 

EXERCISE  21  — Oral 

Compare  the  following  letters  on  the  same  subject  and  select 
the  one  that  seems  to  show  the  greater  originality  : 
Dear  Sir : 

We  have  read  with  much  interest  the  manuscript 
which  you  were  good  enough  to  send  us,  but  after 
careful  consideration  we  regret  that  it  is  unavail- 
able for  our  present  purposes  and  we  are  returning 
it  to  you  herewith. 


THE  FORM  OF  A  LETTER         209 

It  is  unnecessary  for  us  to  assure  you  that 
anything  else  you  may  care  to  submit  will  receive 
our  prompt  and  hopeful  consideration. 
Yours  very  truly. 
Metropolitan  Publishing  Company 
by  #.  L.  fC. 

Dear  Sir  : 

We  found  your  manuscript,    "The  Quaker  Boy," 
exceedingly  interesting  and  unique,   but  more  of  a 
narrative  than  a  story.     For  the  reason  that  it  is  a 
narrative,    it  will  be  unavailable  for  our  columns. 

We  hope  that  you  will  send  us  something  else 
for  consideration. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Raljuk  18.    §^cLcf&,  Assistant  Editor 

EXERCISE  28 -Ora/ 

Be  ready  to  define  the  words  general  and  specific.  Explain 
why  a  specific  statement  is  usually  preferable  to  a  general  one. 
Are  the  statements  in  the  paragraph  beginning  ''  I  am  twenty- 
four  years  of  age  "  (p.  208)  specific  or  general  ? 


EXERCISE  29 

Rewrite  the  first  letter  in  Exercise  27  and  be  ready  to  show 
how  you  have  improved  it. 

EXERCISE  30 

Write  a  reply  to  the  advertisemefit  of  Lauriat  &  Edwards 
(p.  207). 

EXERCISE  31 

Exchange  the  letter  that  you  have  written  in  Exercise  30 
for  that  of  some  other  student.  Prepare  a  written  criticism  of 
the  letter  that  you  have  received.  Use  complete  sentences  in 
writing  your  criticism.  The  following  suggestions  may  aid  you. 


2IO  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

1.  Remark  on  the  general  appearance  of  the  letter,  pen- 
manship, margins,  position  of  the  heading,  etc. 

2.  Examine  the  heading,  complimentary  address,  etc.  to 
see  that  the  arrangement  and  punctuation  are  correct. 

3.  Be  careful  to  see  that  the  salutation  and  complimentary 
close  indicate  the  same  degree  of  intimacy. 

4.  See  that  the  body  of  the  letter  is  (a)  well  planned,  (b)  cor- 
rectly paragraphed.  (If  there  are  two  or  more  paragraphs, 
see  that  the  laws  of  unity  and  coherence  for  connected  para- 
graphs apply.) 

5.  See  that  each  paragraph  (a)  deals  with  only  one  subject, 

(b)  has  its   sentences  well  arranged,  (c)  shows  variety  in   the 
use  of  sentences. 

6.  Examine    the    sentences    for   (a)    unity,    (b)    coherence, 

(c)  emphasis,  {d)  euphony. 

7.  In  short,  see  that  the  letter  is  reasonably  clear ^  accurate^ 
and  concise. 

8.  Rewrite  your  letter  and  preserve  the  rewritten  copy. 


CHAPTER  VII 

LETTER  OF  APPLICATION 

130.  General  requirements.  One  of  the  first  letters  that  in- 
terest the  young  man  or  woman  going  into  business  is  the 
letter  of  application.  If  you  were  asked  what  the  purpose  of  such 
a  letter  is,  you  would  probably  say,  "  To  get  the  position,  of 
course."  While  such  an  answer  would  be  correct,  there  is 
another  viewpoint  that  must  be  considered,  for  the  immediate 
purpose  of  most  letters  of  this  kind  is  to  secure  an  interview. 

There  is  no  set  form  that  can  be  given  to  be  followed  blindly. 
A  letter  of  application  must  be  adapted  to  circumstances,  and 
it  is  in  meeting  these  circumstances  that  the  applicant's  fitness 
for  the  place  will  be  shown.  He  may  be  asked  to  call,  and  then 
be  required  to  give  an  exhibition  of  his  ability  by  sitting  down 
and  writing  out  his  application  offhand.  He  may  know  some 
member  of  the  firm  personally,  and  must  then  suit  his  letter  to 
the  degree  of  acquaintanceship  he  has  with  the  firm.  On  the 
other  hand,  he  may  know  the  firm  only  by  name,  or  he  may  know 
simply  that  he  is  to  write  to  **  X,"  Herald  Office  or  some 
such  address. 

Usually  the  applicant  is  expected  to  apply  in  his  own  hand- 
writing. Such  things  as  erasures,  ink  blots,  and  incorrect  spell- 
ing or  folding  give  an  unfavorable  impression  of  the  writer. 

Letters  of  application  are  likely  to  be  most  effective  when 
truthful,  dignified,  and  frank,  but  not  boastful.  Hamlet's  advice 
to  the  players  may  well  be  remembered  :  Do  not  '"  split  the  ears 
of  the  groundlings.  ...  Be  not  too  tame  neither,  but  let  your 
own  discretion  be  your  tutor."  You  can  leave  to  your  letters  of 
reference  what  you   cannot  well   say  yourself ;  ''Let  another 


212  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

man  praise  you,  and  not  your  own  mouth."  And  yet  few  busi- 
ness men  will  dislike  a  plain  statement  of  what  you  have  done 
and  honestly  think  you  can  do.  You  do  not  need  to  say  that 
you  are  honest  and  reliable,  for  your  teacher,  principal,  or  last 
employer  can  give  you  credit  for  such  things  with  more  dignity 
than  you  can  yourself.  But  you  can  speak  of  your  success  in 
certain  studies,  of  your  training  in  bookkeeping,  or  of  the  satis- 
faction you  gave  your  employer  as  a  delivery  man  on  a  grocery 
wagon-  If  you  have  built  up  a  new  paper  route  yourself,  or 
worked  in  a  clothing  store  on  Saturdays,  or  helped  your  father 
in  his  business,  and  think  that  you  did  your  work  well,  it  is  likely 
your  prospective  employer  will  be  glad  to  hear  briefly  about  it. 

It  is  obvious  that  an  applicant  for  a  position  will,  if  he  is 
wise,  apply  only  for  a  position  which  he  is  reasonably  certain  of 
being  able  to  fill.  Furthermore,  he  should  remember  that  the 
prospective  employer  is  looking  only  for  someone  fitted  to 
undertake  a  particular  job.  It  is  therefore  personal  fitness  to 
meet  particular  requirements  that  must  be  emphasized. 

A  letter  of  application  may  properly  state  the  following  facts  : 

1.  The  circumstances  which  led  to  writing  the  letter.    For  example, 

I  should  like  to  apply  for  the  position  men- 
tioned in  your  advertisement  in  today's  Sun. 

Learning  from  Mr.   James  S.   Childs  that  you  are 
looking  for  an  office  boy,    I  should  like  to  apply 
for  the  position. 

The  Shawmut  Mercantile  Agency  has  advised  me  to 
apply  for  the  position  of  stenographer  in  your 
office. 

2.  The  age  of  the  applicant  or  a  statement  from  which  the  approxi- 
mate age  may  easily  be  deduced. 

3.  General  qualifications :  kind  of  studies  taken  that  bear  directly 
on  the  position  applied  for ;  practical-  experience ;  any  .special  quali- 
fications ;   specific  instances  of  ability. 

4.  Any  further  information  :  testimonials  ;  names  and  addresses  of 
persons  to  whom  applicant  may  refer ;  question  of  salary,  if  it  seems 
wise  to  mention  it ;  request  for  personal  interview. 


LETTER  OF  APPLICATION  213 

Form  of  Address  for  Envelope 


A  9668 

Herald  Office 

Boston,  Mass. 


The  following  hints  are  also  worthy  of  attention : 

Do  not  say,  ''I  saw  your  adv.  (or  ad.)."  Use  some  expression 
a  little  more  dignified,  such  as,  "I  have  seen  your  advertise- 
ment." In  giving  your  age  and  qualifications  do  not  think  it 
necessary  to  write  your  autobiography.  Concise,  simple  state- 
ments are  what  count. 

You  may  give  as  references  the  names  of  persons  who  know 
about  your  training.  It  is  usually  best  not  to  include  copies  of 
testimonials  unless  the  advertisement  that  you  are  answering 
asks  for  them.  Offer  to  submit  copies  if  desired.  In  a  type- 
written letter  it  is  usual  to  mention  at  the  bottom  of  the  letter, 
on  the  left-hand  side,  the  number  of  inclosures  (p.  177). 

Be  careful  in  referring  to  salary.  If  you  are  asked  to  state 
the  salary  you  wish,  you  must  use  your  judgment.  It  is  better 
for  a  beginner  to  look  for  a  place  where  merit  will  receive  pro- 
motion than  to  look  for  as  much  money  as  possible  at  first. 
On  the  other  hand,  no  honest  business  man  should  expect  you, 
if  you  are  a  person  of  experience,  to  undervalue  your  services. 

131.  Grammar  and  the  rules  of  composition.  It  should 
scarcely  be  necessary  to  repeat  that  a  letter  of  application  must 
avoid  mistakes  in  grammar ;  "  I  seen  your  advertisement,"  in- 
stead of  ''  I  have  seen  your  advertisement,"  is  likely  to  destroy 
the  value  of  an  application  at  the  very  beginning. 


214  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

The  following  suggestions  may  help  : 

1.  An  outline  or  plan  is  a  good  preliminary  to  your  actual  letter. 
It  will  help  you  to  assemble  in  a  good  order  the  points  of  which  you 
should  speak. 

2.  Unity  is  necessary.  You  wish  to  be  considered  favorably  for 
the  position.    Everything  in  your  letter  is  to  develop  that  topic. 

3.  Coherence  is  necessary.  You  are  trying  to  make  clear  to  your 
prospective  employer  your  fitness  for  the  position.  Your  ideas  should 
be  well  arranged,  so  that  he  may  understand  clearly  what  you  have 
to  say. 

4.  Euphony  must  not  be  forgotten.  Beware  of  needless  repetitions. 
Too  many  sentences  beginning  with  /,  or  faults  of  a  similar  nature, 
must  be  guarded  against. 

5.  Emphasis.  Your  letter  must  win  an  interview;  get  the  telling 
points  where  they  will  receive  the  most  attention.  Remember  that 
other  applicants  are  likely  to  write  good  letters ;  yours  should  be  the 
best^  —  at  least  the  best  you  can  produce.  It  may  be  necessary  to  step 
aside  from  the  beaten  path  and  blaze  a  new  trail.  Like  a  story  teller 
who  brushes  aside  a  formal  introduction  and  thrusts  before  the  reader 
a  thrilling  action,  so  you  may  feel  it  best  to  place  a  strong  argument 
at  the  very  first  of  your  letter.  But  it  is  not  sufficient  to  gain  attention ; 
you  must  gain  it  in  an  agreeable  manner  and  hold  it. 

Model  forms  for  letters  of  application  are  given  on  pages 

174-175. 

132.  Answers  to  advertisements.  The  following  letters, 
written  in  answer  to  newspaper  advertisements,  are  worth  care- 
ful study.  Do  not  suppose  that  they  are  models  which  you  are 
in  future  to  follow  blindly.  No  doubt  better  letters  can  be 
written ;  these  examples  give  only  a  general  idea  of  what  may 
be  required  in  some  cases. 

One  may  well  consider  his  letter  of  application  as  a  kind  of 
epitome  of  his  autobiography.  As  such  it  will  give  the  exact 
facts  that  will  show  his  fitness  for  the  position  for  which  he 
has  applied.  It  would  be  difficult  for  you  to  find  a  better  test 
of  your  ability  in  composition  than  the  writing  of  an  effective 
letter  of  application. 


LETTER  OF  APPLICATION  215 

EXERCISE  1 
Analyze  the  letters  given  below  and  be  prepared  to  show  to 
what  extent  they  fulfill  the  requirements  of  letters  of  application  : 

^^y ANTED  — Young  man  with  some  practical 
knowledge  of  machinery  to  make  repairs  and 
assist  foreman.  Fair  salary,  and  opportunity  for 
increase.  Apply  by  letter  in  own  handwriting. 
Crown  Laundry  Co.,  510-512  Burton  St.,  Bristol. 

309  Lake  Ave. 
Bristol,  Ohio 
June  17,  19 — 
Crown  Laundry  Co.  . 

Bristol,  Ohio 
Gentlemen  : 

In  reply  to  your  advertisement  in  the  Bristol 
News  of  June  2,  I  wish  to  say  that  I  am  seeking  the 
kind  of  position  you  offer. 

I  am  nineteen  years  old,  and  expect  to  graduate 
from  the  Bristol  Technical  High  School  this  month. 
During  three  years  of  the  course  I  have  been  work- 
ing with  many  kinds  of  machinery,  and  have  helped 
to  set  up  and  repair  the  machinery  in  one  of  the 
school  shops. 

My  father  is  a  chauffeur,  and  I  have  helped 
him  in  repairing  automobiles.  Last  summer  I  took 
a  party  of  excursionists  on  a  three  weeks'  tour. 
While  we  were  in  West  Epping,  away  from  repair 
shops,  my  machine  was  badly  damaged.  I  had  to  re- 
pair two  cylinders,  and  rig  up  a  temporary  steering 
wheel . 

Inclosed  you  will  find  a  copy  of  a  letter  from 
Mr.  George  G.  Short,  owner  of  the  Short  Garage  and 
Repair  Shop,  Bristol,  Ohio.  I  have  been  acting 
as  chauffeur  for  him  and  working  about  the  garage 
after  school.   I  am  also  permitted  to  refer  to 
Mr.  H.  L.  Moulton,  Principal  of  the  Bristol  Tech- 
nical High  School,  and  to  Mr.  James  T.  Waters,  Head 
of  the  Mechanical  Department  of  the  same  school. 

Yours  truly, 

Jvv-uvicf  ^.  ^yyiiZk 


2i6  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Lincoln,  Iowa 
October  5,  19 — 
Mr.  John  C.  MacLeod 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
Madison,  N.C. 
Dear  Sir  : 

I  have  learned  from  a  friend  that  there  is  a 
vacancy  in  the  Willow  Street  Grammar  School  of  your 
city  and  I  wish  to  apply  for  the  position. 

I  am  a  graduate  of  the  Lincoln  High  School  and 
of  the  State  Normal  School  at  Columbia,  class  of 
1909.  For  the  last  three  years  I  have  been  teach- 
ing the  sixth  grade  in  Grammar  School  Number  5,  in 
this  city. 

Inclosed  you  will  find  testimonials  from  Prin- 
cipal R.  B.  Parrish  of  Grammar  School  Number  5, 
and  from  Dr.  Frank  T.  Lyons,  Superintendent  of  the 
Columbia  State  Normal  School.  I  am  also  permitted 
to  refer  to  Professor  Raymond  Powell,  of  the  Edu- 
cation Department  in  the  Normal  School,  and  to 
Mr.  Louis  L.  Palmer,  Superintendent  of  the  Lincoln 
schools. 

I  should  welcome  a  personal  interview  at  your 
convenience. 

Yours  respectfully, 

{Mui^)  (LyyveAf  ?n.  ISM 

Note.  Yours  respectfully  is  used  correctly  in  the  above  letter  (see 
page  192).  To  have  used  Yours  truly ^  however,  would  have  been  in 
equally  good  form. 

133.  The  impersonal  advertisement.  An  impersonal  advertise- 
ment is  one  in  which  the  advertiser's  name  does  not  appear.   As  it 

usually  requires  only  a  brief  answer,  the  applicant  may  properly 
omit  both  salutation  and  complimentary  close.  The  chief  thing 
to  be  sought  in  such  cases  is  a  personal  interview.  A  word  as 
to  the  presumed  fitness  of  the  applicant  may  be  added. 


LETTER  OF  APPLICATION 


217 


An    impersonal    advertisement   and   an   answer    are    given 
below : 

'Yy ANTED:  High-grade  salesman  of  experi- 
ence, possessing  initiative,  personality,  and 
character,  open  for  engagement  for  New  England 
or  local  territory.  Address  X  378,  Cleveland 
Herald, 


June  18,    19 — 
X  378,   Cleveland  Herald  : 

I  think  I  can  fill  satisfactorily  the  position 
which  you  advertise,   and  I  should  welcome  a  per- 
sonal interview. 

52  Lake  Avenue 
St.   Louis,  Mo. 

But  though  such  a  letter  may  be  effective  in  answering  any 
kind  of  advertisement,  the  fact  is,  there  is  no  rule  of  three  by 
which  to  write  letters  of  application.  What  may  suit  one  em- 
ployer may  displease  another.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  originality 
is  sure  to  count. 

The  following  letters  give  more  explicit  informatioh  than 
does  the  one  above,  written  by  Charles  E.  Hamilton. 


QFFICE  ASSISTANT,  with  experience  in 
bookkeeping  and  typewriting,  wanted  for 
position  involving  much  detail  and  requiring 
judgment  and  accuracy;  salary  ^25.  Address, 
giving  age,  education,  experience,  and  references, 
A  956,  Herald  Office. 


17  Wakefield  Avenue 
Toledo,  Ohio 

July  31,  19— 
A  956 

Herald  Office 
Gentlemen  : 

I  wish  to  apply  for  the  position  advertised  in 
the  inclosed  clipping  from  the  morning  Herald.   I 
feel  that  I  am  competent  to  meet  the  requirements 
which  you  have  specified. 


2l8  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

I  am  twenty-seven  years  of  age.  After  gradu- 
ating from  high  school  I  took  a  two  years'  business 
course  in  one  of  the  best  commercial  schools  in 
Toledo,  studying  both  bookkeeping  and  typewriting. 
Following  this,  I  have  worked  for  three  years  in  a 
lawyer's  office,  where  I  am  at  present  employed.   I 
now  wish  to  enter  an  office  where  the  work  requires 
greater  individual  responsibility  and  judgment  than 
here,  and  where  there  is  room  for  advancement. 

I  have  permission  to  refer  you  to  Mr.  James  E. 
White,  Principal  of  the  White  Commercial  School, 
and  Mr.  John  R.  Seaver,  Principal  of  the  Redbush 
High  School.   If  you  wish  further  references, 
please  communicate  with  Mr.  Horace  Greene,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Toledo  Woolen  Company,  or  Mr.  Frank 
Morse  of  the  Second  National  Bank. 

Very  truly  yours. 


/^FFICE  BOY  in  an  engineering  office;  high- 
school  graduate  preferred ;  state  age,  educa- 
tion, and  experience.    Address  A  9668,  Herald 
Office. 

24  Ash  St . 

Boston,  Mass. 
A  9668  August  6,  19 — 

Herald  Office 
Boston,  Mass. 
Dear  Sir: 

Please  consider  me  an  applicant  for  the  posi- 
tion which  you  advertise  in  this  morning's  Herald. 
I  am  twenty-one  years  of  age,  a  graduate  of  the 
Belmont  High  School,  Massachusetts,  in  the  class  of 
1910.  The  following  year  I  took  a  graduate  course 
in  mechanical  drawing  in  the  Mechanic  Arts  Insti- 
tution of  Boston.   I  am  at  present  an  apprentice  in 
the  shops  of  the  J.  W.  Morse  Company,  machinists. 
I  should  be  glad  to  have  a  personal  interview 
and  can  furnish  references  if  desired. 
Yours  truly. 


LETTER  OF  APPLICATION 


219 


"YEOMAN   with   managerial   ability  wanted   to 
take  charge  of  a  high-class  business.    Ad- 
dress A  963,   World  Office. 
A  963 

World  Office 
Gentlemen: 

Having  noticed  the  inclosed  advertisement  in 
this  morning's  World,  I  wish  to  apply  for  the 
position  referred  to.  I  feel  that  my  business  expe- 
rience has  been  sufficiently  broad  to  adapt  me  to 
any  work  requiring  managerial  ability. 

If  you  desire  references  or  more  complete  in- 
formation regarding  my  experience,  I  shall  be  glad 
to  give  details  upon  request. 

Very  truly  yours, 

EXERCISE  2 

Make  brief  outlines  for  the  letters  on  pages  174  and  175. 
Notice  the  last  sentence  in  each  letter.  Which  seems  to  be 
the  most  suitable  ending }  Have  you  anything  to  say  about  the 
omission  of  a  request  for  an  interview  in  the  letter  on  page 
175  ?  Which  letter  is  the  more  specific? 

EXERCISE  3 

Study  carefully  the  model  letters  on  pages  2 1 5  and  219  and  be 
prepared  to  state  how  fully  they  meet  the  special  requirements 
in  each  instance.    Note  any  expressions  which  you  can  improve. 

EXERCISE  4 
In  accordance  with  the  outline  given  below,  answer  the  fol- 
lowing advertisement : 

A7"0UNG  MAN  wanted  to  grow  up  in  office  of 
old  established  wholesale  house.  This  means 
a  life  position  to  the  right  person  ;  must  be  of  neat 
appearance,  courteous,  and  adaptable  ;  salary,  ^15 
a  week,  with  yearly  advance.  Address  C  3454, 
Advertiser  Office. 

Outline 
Direct  occasion  of  writing ;    age  ;    school  training ;    business 
training ;  references  ;  inclosures. 


220  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  5 

1.  Write  a  letter  answering  the  following  advertisement  in 
accordance  with  the  outline  given  below : 

JUNIOR  CLERK.  American,  high-school grad- 
J  uate,  age  18-20,  good  at  figures;  good  place 
for  right  person,  beginning  ^12  weekly.  Address 
C  3403,  Tribune  Office. 

Outline 

Age :  nineteen  years. 

Education :  general  high-school  course. 

Business  training  :  after  school,  delivery  man  for  J.  D.  Brown's 
hardware  store;  summer  vacations,  office  clerk  in  Sunset  Hotel, 
Los  Angeles,  Calif. 

References :  J.  D.  Brown,  Tacoma,  Washington ;  John 
L.  Stevens,  proprietor  of  Sunset  Hotel,  Los  Angeles. 

Inclosure :  copy  of  letter  from  John  L.  Stevens. 

Other  information :  general  intentions. 

2.  Write  the  answer  recommended  in  section  133  as  suitable 
when  replying  to  an  impersonal  advertisement. 

EXERCISE  6 

Make  outlines,  as  in  Exercise  5,  for  two  of  the  following 
advertisements : 

WANTED:  ADVERTISING  ASSISTANT  — Young  man, 
knowledge  of  stenography  and  typewriting,  some  experience  in 
advertising  department,  good  in  English,  willing  to  turn  his  hand 
to  anything  for  the  sake  of  development  along  advertising  lines  ; 
salary,  $15  to  start.  Address,  by  letter  only.  Client,  Box  3536, 
Boston. 

YOUNG  LADY  for  clerical  work  in  office,  8  miles  from 
Boston,  experience  not  necessary,  but  must  be  accurate  at 
figures,  small  pay  to  start  with,  good  chance  for  advancement. 
W  301,  Globe. 

OFFICE  MAN  —  One  experienced  in  leather  business  pre- 
ferred ;  advancement  made  on  merit ;  state  experience  and 
salary  desired.    Address  B  9390,   Tiynes  Office. 

4 


LETTER  OF  APPLICATION 


221 


EXERCISE  7  — Oral 
Discuss  the  merits  and  defects  of  the  following  letters  as 
answers  to  the  advertisements  which  precede  them :  Do  not 
forget  that  a  person  who  can  sell  baby-grand  pianos  is  not 
necessarily  the  one  to  approach  prospective  buyers  of  hand 
organs. 

A/y ANTED :  Young  lady  for  clerical  work  in 
private  club  library  of  20,000  volumes ;  sal- 
ary to  start,  ^15.  Apply  by  letter  only,  giving 
age  and  qualifications.  Room  21,  275  Call  St., 
Winchester,  Ky. 

Gentlemen  : 

I  have  noticed  your  advertisement  in  the  Daily 
Mail  for  a  young  lady  to  do  clerical  work  in  a 
private  club  library  and  herewith  make  application 
for  the  position. 

I  am  nineteen  years  old  and  graduated  from 
high  school  a  year  ago  last  June.  For  the  past 
six  months  I  have  been  assisting  in  the  public  li- 
brary in  this  city,  and  left  there  only  when  the 
work  for  which  I  was  hired  was  completed.  If  you 
wish  information  in  regard  to  my  ability,  I  can 
refer  you  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Smith,  Librarian. 

Yours  respectfully, 

fayyiet   7fl^^o-w~M 

T '\7'ANTED.  Live  wires  that  can  get  a  message 
across  the  first  time.  You  can  sell  our 
Jubilee  Spark  Plug  Intensifier  if  you  can  sell 
autoists  something  they  all  want.  Auto  Specialty 
Company,  Dayton,  Ohio. 

Gentlemen  : 

Your  ad.  for  live  wires  to  connect  autoists 
with  your  Jubilee  Spark  Intensifier  looks  good 
to  me.  Your  proposition  ought  to  go  with  a  little 
pep  behind  it,  and  that's  what  I've  got — more  than 
a  little.  I  want  to  go  after  some  of  this  business. 

Please  phone  Hardwick  and  Larson,  Main  706, 
City  or  the  American  Novelty  Company  (ask  for 
Mr,  Lyall).  They'll  back  me. 

Yours  for  business. 


222  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  8  -  Oral 

Remark  on  the  following  beginnings  of  letters,  pointing  out 
the  merits  and  defects  of  each. 

I  have  five  years'  business  experience  of  a 
kind  that  I  believe  has  fitted  me  exceptionally 
well  for  the  position  advertised  by  you  in  this 
evening's  Herald. 

I  am  an  applicant  for  the  position  of  corre- 
spondent in  your  grocery  department,  advertised  in 
this  evening's  edition  of  the  Chicago  News. 

I  respectfully  ask.  your  consideration  of  my 
application  for  the  position  of  correspondent, 
which  was  advertised  in  this  morning's  Herald. 

I  know  how  to  write  letters,  for  my  brains  have 
been  well  trained  in  college  and  business. 

EXERCISE  9 

Following  the  outline  you  have  made,  write  a  letter  answering 
one  of  the  advertisements  in  Exercise  6. 

Pass  your  letter  to  some  other  pupil,  who  will  prepare  a 
written  criticism  of  it. 

Revise  your  letter  in  accordance  with  the  criticism  that  has 
been  made  of  it. 

134.  Value  of  carefulness.  Few  persons  can  dash  off  a  letter 
of  application.  The  successful  applicant  for  an  important  posi- 
tion found  it  necessary  to  devote  one  whole  week  to  the 
composition  of  his  letter  and  rewrote  it  twenty  times  or  more. 
Every  word  was  weighed  and  made  to  tell.  Of  course  the  writer 
of  this  particular  letter  felt  sure  that  what  he  wrote  would  be 
submitted  to  almost  microscopic  scrutiny.  A  beginner  may  think 
that  his  letter  asking  only  for  a  beginner's  place  is  not  likely  to 
be  examined  so  carefully,  but  anyone  starting  to  make  a  career 
for  himself  will  find  it  pays  to  do  to  the  best  of  his  ability  what  he 
undertakes.  His  letter  of  application  may  be  his  first  important 
means  of  creating  an  impression. 


LETTER  OF  APPLICATION  223 

The  letter  given  below  was  actually  written  by  a  young  man 
applying  for  the  position  mentioned  in  the  advertisement.  On 
the  whole  it  is  the  kind  of  letter  the  average  young  man  might 
write.  It  has  good  points  and  is  on  the  face  of  it  frank  enough, 
but  it  is  just  the  average  letter ;  almost  any  boy  could  write  it, 
and  it  is  certainly  not  the  letter  to  be  picked  from  fifty  or  more 
as  the  best. 

'T^HE  Cleveland  Courier  wants  a  bright  young 
man,  high-school  graduate,  to  learn  journalism 
at  this  office  from  the  bottom  up.  Don't  write 
your  autobiography,  but  tell  us  briefly  what  you 
have   been   doing.   Editor  Cleveland  Courier 

42  Webster  Street 

Cleveland  Ohio 

June  3,  19 — 1 
Editor  in  chiefs 

Cleveland  Courier 

Cleveland,  Ohio 

Dear  Editor: ^ — 

*  Seeing  your  ad.^  in  your  paper  in  which  you 
state  that  you  wish  a  competant^  young  man  to  learn 
Journalism,  I  am  taking  this  chance^  of  putting 
myself  at  your  disposal. ^ 

^As  regards, 1^  experience  in  Journalism,  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  I  am  lacking.  11  I  am  sure,  12  how- 
ever, that  I  have  sufficient  ability  to  prove 
myself  entirely ^^  satisfactory  to  your  demands. 

I  am  a  graduate  of  the  Curtis  High  School.^* 
From  this  school  I  am  confident  ^^  that  you  would 
receive  excellent  references. 

In  regards  salery^^  i  am  willing  to  leave  this 
matter  in  your  hands  as  I  am  sure  that  you  would 
estimate  my  worth  far  better  than  I  could.  Hoping 
that  you  will  give  this  application  fair  consider- 
ation, ^^  I  remain,  18 

Yours  sincerely  19 

lA)-.   c/.  'Sv&oAa^my 

Note.    The  superior  figures  in  the  letter  indicate  the  corresponding 
paragraphs  in  Critical  Suggestions  on  page  224. 


224  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  10 

Before  reading  the  suggestions  given  below,  carefully  examine 
the  letter  on  page  223  and  make  a  note  of  all  necessary  changes. 

Critical  Suggestions 

1.  Is  the  punctuation  in  the  heading  correct  and  complete  ? 

2.  Is  Editor  in  chief  a  good  title  in  the  complimentary 
address  ? 

3.  Is  the  salutation  satisfactory  ?  Is  the  punctuation  after 
the  salutation  the  best? 

4.  See  if  you  can  express  the  first  sentence  more  concisely. 
6.  ad.    Is  this  a  good  abbreviation  ? 

6.  competant.    Does  this  word  look  right  ? 

7.  Is  chance  the  best  word  for  this  sentence  ? 

8.  putting  myself  at  your  disposal.    Try  some  other  phrase. 

9.  Compare  the  second  paragraph  with  the  following :  "I 
have  not  had  any  experience  in  real  journalism,  unless  writing 
for  the  high-school  paper  may  be  counted  in  my  favor.  I  have, 
however,  talked  with  a  number  of  persons  engaged  in  journal- 
istic work  of  various  kinds,  and  feel  that  I  should  like  journalism. 
I  know  I  shall  be  willing  to  try  hard  to  learn." 

10.  Is  there  need  of  a  comma  after  regards} 

11.  Compare  the  sentence  beginning  As  regards  with  the 
following:  *^  I  have  not  had  any  experience  in  real  journalism." 

12.  Is  sure  a  little  too  strong  ?  Comment  on  the  expression 
/  have  sufficient  ability. 

13.  Omit  entirely  and  see  if  you  have  weakened  the  sentence. 

14.  What  important  information  is  added  by  giving  the 
writer's  year  of  graduation  ? 

15.  Try  to  get  a  better  word  than  confdent.  Perhaps  you 
prefer,  "  The  principal  of  the  Curtis  High  School,  Mr.  Frank  R. 
Carherny,  will  furnish  you  with  information  regarding  my 
work  in  school." 

16.  In  regards  salery.    Point  out  the  errors. 

17.  Is  it  wise  to  insinuate  that  your  application  will  not  be 
given  a  fair  consideration  ?  Is  anything  lost  if  this  sentence 
is  omitted  ?  If  it  is  not  omitted,  would  you  change  the 
paragraphing  ? 


LETTER  OF  APPLICATION 


225 


18.  What  does  I  remain  imply  ?    Should  a  comma  follow  it  ? 

19.  When  is  Yours  sincerely  a  correct  complimentary  close  ? 
What  is  the  rule  for  the  capitalization  and  punctuation  of  the 
complimentary  close  ? 

20.  Examine  carefully  the  capitalization  throughout  the 
letter. 

21.  Try  to  think  of  some  reason  for  placing  the  ideas  in  the 
second  paragraph  before  those  in  the  third. 

22.  Are  there  any  important  facts  omitted  in  the  letter? 
Can  you  write  a  better  letter  than  this  ?   Try  it. 


EXERCISE  11 

Make   a  written   criticism   of  the   letter  given   below   (see 
page  203,  Exercise  21).  Rewrite  the  letter. 


Tl^rANTED — Young  man  with  some  practical 
knowledge  of  machinery  to  make  repairs  and 
assist  foreman.    Royal  Foundry  Co.,  50-55  Gray 
St.,  Roxbury . 

2261  Dorchester  Ave. 
Boston,  Mass. 
June  25,  19 — 
Royal  Foundry  Co. 
50-55  Gray  St. 
Roxbury 
Dear  Sirs: 

In  reply  to  your  ad  of  the  6/25/21  in  the 
Globe  I  wish  to  say  that  I  graduated  from  Merchant 
High  School  this  summer.  In  school  I  received  a 
fair  idea  of  the  construction  of  machinery,  and 
this  with  what  I  have  learnt  from  my  brother  who  is 
a  stationary  engineer  and  who  has  always  done 
mechanical  work  leads  me  to  believe  that  I  could 
fill  the  position  which  you  have  offered. 
Yours  respectfully 

SeyO.  c/.  COwyyhuyiCjftcyyv 


226  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  12 
Write  one  of  the  letters  required  below : 

1.  Apply  for  a  position  as  an  assistant  in  the  shipping  depart- 
ment of  the  wholesale  grocery  store  of  Parnell  &  Parsons. 

2.  Apply  for  a  position  as  teacher  of  English  (or  any  subject 
you  prefer)  in  the  Lawrenceville  High  School,  New  Jersey ; 
principal,  Warren  W.  McCallum. 

EXERCISE  13 

Write  one  of  the  following  letters  : 

1.  Make  a  written  application  to  the  American  Vehicle 
Company,  Bremen,  Ind.,  for  the  position  of  agent  for  their 
automobiles,  carriages,  etc. 

2.  Write  to  the  Thomas  Business  Agency,  475  Arch  Street, 
Chicago,  111.,  stating  the  kind  of  position  you  wish  and  asking 
what  they  can  do  for  you. 

EXERCISE  14 

Write  a  letter  in  which  as  a  normal-school  graduate,  or  a 
college  graduate  who  has  had  no  experience  in  teaching,  you 
apply  for  a  position  as  teacher  in  a  public  or  private  school 
that  you  know. 

EXERCISE  15 

Apply  for  a  position  as  teacher  in  one  of  the  schools  described 
below: 

THE  HOME  SCHOOL  FOR  GIRLS.  "The  school 
that 's  full  of  sunshine "  offers  the  advantages  of  a  home  in 
a  village  world-known  for  its  healthfulness.  Thorough  in- 
struction and  vocational  guidance.  $1200  for  school  year. 
Walsh  B.  Pelham,  Principal,  Tarrytown,  N.Y.   Box  90. 

MITCHELL  SCHOOL  FOR  BOYS.  50  miles  from 
New  York.  75  th  year.  21  years  under  present  head  master. 
New  site  and  new  buildings.  Athletic  field.  Swimming  pool. 
Gymnasium.  Prepares  for  all  colleges  and  technical  schools. 
Individual  instruction.    Address  Head  Master,  Newton,   N.J. 


LETTER  OF  APPLICATION  227 

EXERCISE  16 

Reply  to  any  three  of  the  following  advertisements : 

CHAUFFEUR  WANTED.  Young  man,  unmarried,  some 
years'  experience.  Careful  driver.  References  required.  Ad- 
dress K.  F.  T.,  Times  Office. 

HIGH-GRADE  experienced  salesman  wanted  to  handle 
a  new,  widely  advertised,  and  universally  demanded  automobile 
accessory,  on  a  liberal  commission  plan.    H  166,  Globe  Office. 

« 

LEDGER  CLERK  and  general  office  assistant  wanted  who 
is  quick  and  accurate  with  figures ;  state  in  first  letter  salary  ex- 
pected, age,  education,  business  experience,  and  give  references 
which  will  be  considered  confidential.  Address  E  897,  Herald 
Office. 

WELL-KNOWN  SPORTING-GOODS  HOUSE  desires 
the  services  of  an  aggressive  sporting-goods  man,  familiar 
with  all  sports.  Must  be  well  recommended ;  none  other  than 
man  of  ability  need  apply.    Address  Box  209,  Roxbury. 

STENOGRAPHER  WANTED  — Young  lady  of  excep- 
tional experience ;  must  be  neat,  accurate,  and  able  to  qualify 
as  an  Ai  stenographer;  filing  experience  necessary;  good 
opportunity  and  liberal  salary  to  right  party.  Address  Y  1 1 04, 
Sun  and  Times  Office. 

WANTED  —  Young  lady  with  some  knowledge  of  stenog- 
raphy, to  assist  in  publishing  house.  Reply  in  handwriting  and 
state  salary  expected.    Address  B  513,  Public  Ledger  Office. 

A  CREDIT  MANAGER  wanted  by  long-established  whole- 
sale house;  must  have  had  thorough  experience  in  handling 
credits.  Write  (pen),  stating  experience,  age,  references,  etc. 
Box  7,  Hanover  St.  Post  Office. 

DRAFTSMAN  wanted,  mechanical,  on  paper  working  and 
printing  machinery,  capable  of  laying  out  work  from  instruc- 
tions and  designing  details  ;  state  age,  salary,  experience,  present 
employment.    H  158,  Traveller  O^c^. 


228  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

BUSINESS    OPPORTUNITY  —  Wanted,    an    ambitious 
partner,  with  some  capital,  to  take  an  active  interest  in  a  motion- 
picture  theater  at  one  of  the  best  summer  resorts.    For  particu-    . 
lars,  address  C  9210,  Inquirer  Office. 

SALESWOMAN  wanted  to  handle  the  most  popular  and 
nationally  known  electric  washing  machine  on  the  market. 
References  required.  Electric  Sales  Co.,  38  West  Sixth  St., 
Philadelphia. 

A  YOUNG  WOMAN,  with  some  knowledge  of  stenography, 
wanted  to  answer  telephone.  Previous  business  experience  not 
required.  Apply  by  letter  only.  Richards  &  Co.,  200  Causeway 
St.,  Deering,  111. 

STENOGRAPHER  wanted  who  can  read  her  notes  with 
ease ;  must  be  rapid,  accurate,  and  have  had  abundant  expe- 
rience ;  permanent  position,  salary  satisfactory.  Address 
MANUFACTURER,  Box  301,  Framingham,  Mass. 

EXERCISE  17 

Write  a  letter  of  application,  using  as  many  as  you  can  of  the 
words  in  the  list  in  Exercise  1 2,  page  73.  If  you  choose,  you  may 
answer  one  of  the  advertisements  given  in  the  exercise  above. 


EXERCISE  18 

Write  a  letter,  applying  for  the  kind  of  position  you  would 
like  to  have  and  for  which  you  think  you  possess  the  necessary 
qualifications. 

EXERCISE  19 

Cut  from  a  newspaper  an  advertisement  the  requirements  of 
which  you  think  you  could  fill.  Write  a  letter  as  if  you  were 
actually  applying  for  the  place  and  inclose  your  letter  in  an 
envelope. 

Be  prepared  to  submit  your  letter  to  some  other  student  for 
criticism. 


LETTER  OF  APPLICATION  229 

EXERCISE  20 
Read  the  advertisement  and  the  letter  given  below.    Rewrite 
the  letter,  after  noting  carefully  the  suggestions  beneath  it : 

J)RAFTSMAN  WANTED  — At  Laconia,N.H., 
to  lay  out  drawings  from  freehand  sketches 
and  make  drawings  similar  to  those  shown  when 
changes  are  explained.  Apply  by  letter  or  in  person. 
Milton  Car  Co.,  60  Essex  St.,  Laconia,  N.H. 

87  Mt.  Vernon  St. 
Barrington,  N.Y. 
June  4,  1921 
Milton  Car  Co. 
60  Essex  St. 
Laconia,  N.H. 

Dear  Sirs: ^ 

In  reply  to  your  "ad. "2  in  the  morning  Post 
of  May  30,  kindly  consider  me  an  applicant  for  the 
position  of  draftsman  at  Laconia,  New  Hampshire. 
3  1  have  had  four  years  of  drawing  at  the  Merchant 
High  School,  Boston,  where  references  may  be 
obtained  from  the  head  master.* 

Yours  truly, 

C.  H.  Sheridan 

1.  "  Gentlemen  "  is  better  than  Dear  Sirs. 

2.  Ad.  is  not  a  good  abbreviation.  The  use  of  quotation 
marks  in  a  case  like  this  seems  to  be  an  attempt  to  justify  a 
doubtful  expression. 

3.  Better  begin  a  new  paragraph  here,  as  this  is  a  new  idea. 

4.  Give  the  head  master's  name  and  address. 
The  letter  does  not  state  definitely  whether  or  not  Sheridan 

has  had  freehand  drawing  or  mechanical  drawing  or  both.  He 
can  easily  afford  to  give  more  details.  It  might  strengthen  his 
case  if  he  inclosed  a  copy  of  a  letter  from  the  head  of  the  drawing 
department  in  the  school.  Sheridan  may  receive  the  appoint- 
ment, but  his  statement  is  rather  bare  of  details  and  is  not 
likely  to  be  selected  as  impressive  from  among  thirty  or  forty 
letters. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  BUYING  LETTER 

135.  Need  of  caution.  Buying  is  not  by  any  means  simple 
in  its  details.  Caution  should  be  used,  because  statements  in 
a  letter  may  prove  legally  binding.  If  a  buyer's  order  is 
accepted,  he  must,  as  a  rule,  accept  delivery  of  the  goods 
even  if  he  has  in  the  meantime  changed  his  mind ;  if  the 
goods  are  not  satisfactory,  the  buyer  must  prove  that  they 
are  not  what  his  letter  specifically  asked  for.  The  general 
rule  in  the  law  of  sales  is  an  old  Latin  maxim,  caveat  emptor 
(let  the  buyer  beware).  This  tendency  to  throw  the  legal 
responsibility  upon  the  buyer  is  supposed  to  have  the  effect 
of  making  men  self-reliant  and  cautious  and  of  decreasing  law- 
suits. If  you  buy  specifically  a  Rex  Motor  #/,  but  find  that  it 
will  not  do  your  work,  you  cannot  return  it  unless  the  seller 
consents  to  receive  it. 

136.  Essential  parts  of  a  buying  letter.  The  buying  letter 
must  be  clear  and  as  concise  as  possible.  It  has  three  points 
that  should  be  especially  noted : 

1.  Exact  identification  of  goods  ordered. 

2.  Directions  for  shipment  of  goods. 

3.  Provision  for  payment  of  cost  of  goods. 

In  the  case  of  a  regular  charge  customer  the  third  provision 
is  not  always  expressed,  but  is,  of  course,  tacitly  understood. 

137.  Identification.  Many  firms  send  out  catalogues  in  which 
the  articles  they  have  for  sale  are  identified  by  various  means, 
such  as  a  picture,  description,  special  number,  weight,  power 
(of  engine  or  motor),  or  price.  Some  such  method  is  the  prac- 
tical way  of  identifying  goods,  and  where  possible  the  buyer 
should  use  the  seller^s  method  of  identification. 

230 


THE  BUYING  LETTER 


231 


The  following  descriptions  illustrate  the  modern  seller's 
method  of  informing  the  purchaser  how  to  name  exactly  the 
article  wanted : 


No.  UAA.  MAJOR-LEAGUE 
UNIFORM  (made  to  order,  of 
All- Wool  Carter- Brown  Flannel). 
The  only  difference  between 
this  uniform  and  No.  UA  is 
that  a  medium-weight  shirt  is 
supplied  instead  of  the  heaviest 
weight. 

No.  UB.  Shirt,  any  style,  in- 
cluding lettering    .      Each  ^10.50 
No.  UA.    Pants,  any  style. 

Pair    10.50 
No.  UA.  Cap,  any  style. 

Each      2.00 
No.  3X.  Hose,  plain  colors  or 

striped Pair      3.00 

No.  7.  Belt,  best  quality  of 
leather,  tan  or  black.    Each      i.oo 
$2y.oo 


ALLENDALE'S  COUNTERPANES,  the  staple  Quilt  for 
over  fifty  years,  in  homes,  hospitals,  hotels,  etc.  Recommended 
by  physicians.  Laundered  easily  as  sheets.  Extremely  durable. 
Send  for  Description  A  to  Reliable  Quilt  Co.,  Pawtucket,  R.I. 


No.  620G.  THE  LAST  WORD 
IN  A  PROFESSIONAL  BASE- 
BALL MITT.  The  finest  golden- 
brown  horsehide  obtainable.  As 
soft  and  flexible  as  a  glove.  Has 
a  sole -leather  guard  at  the  top  of 
the  back  for  protection  of  fingers. 
Rawhide  laced  all  around.  No 
"  breaking  in  "  required.  Used  by 
many  of  the  catchers  in  the  major 
leagues.    Each,  $14. 


232  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

ALLEN'S  SPECIAL  MOTORS 

3  H.  P.  Single  Cylinder 30  lb. 

6  H.  P.  Double  Cylinder 60  lb. 

12  H.P.  Four  Cylinder 100  lb. 

30  H.P.  Six  Cylinder 200  lb. 

A  HIGH-GRADE  MOTOR  that  will  give  constant  and 
efficient  service.  Especially  adapted  for  canoes  and  light  boats. 
Aluminum  base,  copper  water  jacket,  steel  shaft,  bronze  bearings. 

The  Allen  Manufacturing  Co. 

Toledo,  Ohio 

EXERCISE  1 

Write  a  letter,  ordering  one  of  the  articles  just  described. 
Inclose  a  post-office  money  order  in  payment. 

Write  a  letter,  asking  for  more  information  about  one  of 
these  articles. 

Write  a  letter,  ordering  a  duplicate  of  something  that  you 
now  own,  —  a  book,  fountain  pen,  chair,  or  the  like. 

EXERCISE  2  -  Oral 

You  have  probably  found  in  your  own  experience  that  most 
stores  will  take  back  or  exchange  almost  any  article.  Be  pre- 
pared to  explain  in  class  how  this  can  be  reconciled  with  the 
statements  made  on  page  230  about  the  need  of  the  buyer's 
being  wary. 

138.  Paragraphing.  If  an  article  requires  an  extended  descrip- 
tion for  identification,  a  separate  paragraph  should  be  devoted  to 
it.  Such  a  method  follows  the  requirements  of  correct  para- 
graphing, which  rules  that  an  important  topic  merits  a  distinct 
paragraph.  If  there  are  two  or  more  such  descriptions,  many 
business  men  prefer  to  have  each  description  on  a  separate 
sheet.   The  letter  on  page  233  illustrates  the  correct  form. 


THE  BUYING  LETTER  233 

Prescott,  Conn. 

September  6,  19 — 
Swanson  &  Sanborn 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Gentlemen  : 

I  wish  you  to  send  me  an  open  stove  suitable 
for  a  sitting  room.   I  cannot  find  in  catalogues 
anything  that  exactly  suits  me,  but  Mr.  James  Eaton 
tells  me  that  he  bought  recently  from  you  an  open- 
grate  stove  somewhat  similar  to  the  old-fashioned 
"Franklin,"  the  style  of  which  is,  I  think,  what 
I  wish.   The  grate  in  Mr.  Eaton's  stove  is  18  in. 
long  and  7  1/2  in.  deep.   If  you  have  a  stove  with  a 
somewhat  larger  grate,  I  should  prefer  it,  but  if 
you  have  not,  I  will  take  one  similar  to  Mr.  Eaton's. 
Also  send  6  ft.  of  8-in.  pipe.  Please  send  goods  by 
freight. 

Also  please  send  by  express  the  following: 

300  lb.  Barbed  Wire  Fencing 

15  lb.  1-in.  Wire  Staples 

1  keg  3-in.  Wire  Nails 

Please  charge  to  my  account. 

Yours  truly. 

The  second  part  of  this  order  may  very  properly  be  written 
on  a  separate  sheet.  It  is  an  order  for  stock  articles,  about  which 
there  is  not  likely  to  be  any  discussion.  These  are  to  go  by 
express,  as  distinct  from  the  stove,  which  is  to  go  by  freight, 
and  they  would  probably  be  sent  forward  at  once. 

EXERCISE  3  —  Oral 

Analyze  the  above  letter  before  your  class,  showing  how  it 
conforms  to  what  you  regard  as  an  ideal  letter  of  its  kind. 

139.  Directions  for  shipment.  Directions  for  shipment  are 
given  when  there  can  be  reasonable  doubt  as  to  the  best  way  to 
ship  the  goods.   As  a  matter  of  fact,  many  firms  have  an  expert 


234  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

shipper,  whose  business  it  is  to  know  the  best  carrier  for  any 
particular  consignment.  The  buyer,  however,  may  have  special 
reasons  for  wishing  to  receive  his  goods  by  freight,  express, 
mail,  or  in  any  particular  way,  and  he  should  then  state  his 
wishes  definitely.  But  the  carrier,  whether  named  or  not,  is 
liable  for  goods  committed  to  his  care.  The  seller,  however, 
is  liable  for  damages  due  to  improper  packing. 

It  is  correct  to  order  a  variety  of  articles  in  one  paragraph, 
provided  that  you  have  a  brief  and  clear  way  of  identifying 
each  article.    Notice  the  following  points  : 

1.  Each  item  should  be  given  a  separate  Hne. 

2.  The  name  of  each  article  should  be  capitalized,  but  not 
the  amount,  quantity,  etc. 

3.  No  punctuation  is  needed  at  the  ends  of  the  lines. 

Letters  ordering  Goods 


1932  Commercial  St. 

Atlanta.  Ga. 

March  15.  19— 

Smith.  Clark  &  Co. 

New  Orleans.  La. 

Gentlemen  : 

Please  ship  us  at  once  by  freight  : 

100  hhl.  Roller  Process  Flour 

10  hbl.  Porto  Rico  Molasses 

15  hhl.  New  Orleans  Molasses 

25  hags  0.  K.  Oatmeal 

15  hhl.  Fine  Granulated  Sugar 

2  hhl.  Brown  C  Sugar 

2  hhl.  Golden  Wheat  Starch 

20  chests  Orange  Pekoe  Tea 

The  above  are  to  be  billed  to  us  in  accordance  with 

the 

prices  and  terms  Quoted  in  your  letter  of  March  10. 

Yours  truly. 

Jordan.  Button  & 

Co. 

f.&.B. 

THE  BUYING  LETTER  235 


Wellington.  Kans 
T.  F.  Roach  &  Co.  ^^^"^^  ^ 

Ottawa.  Kans. 

Gentlemen: 

Please  send  me  the  following  articles  by  express  and 
charge  to  my  account: 

5  lb.  Rio  Coffee,  35^  ^1  75 

1/2  bbl.  Pearson's  Best  Flour,  $14.50  7.25 

1  Fireless  Cooker  #15.  mfg.  by  Kinne  &  Co.     16.00 

1  "Cold  Blast"  Lantern,  size  3  1.20 
Yours  truly. 


The  following  expressions  copied  from  actual  letters  will 
give  some  idea  of  how  to  state  directions  for  shipment : 

1.  Please  ship  goods  by  cheapest  route. 

2.  Please  make   shipment  through   Earle  and  Grew's  Ex- 
press Co. 

3.  Please  have  the  goods  sent  by  the  Soo  line,  fast  freight. 

4.  Please  send  the  goods  by  Adams  Express,  with  insurance 
for  full  value. 

5.  Please  forward  by  parcel  post. 

6.  The  South  Shore  Electric  Express  Company  will  deliver 
these  goods  at  my  door. 

7.  These  goods  should  be  delivered  to  the  Lake  Transpor- 
tation Company,  Rand's  Wharf. 

140.  Provision  for  payment.  Arrangements  satisfactory  to 
the  seller  regarding  payment  for  goods  must  be  made  in  the 
buyer's  letter.  Everyone  is  likely  to  know  whether  the  seller 
will  expect  him  to  make  payment  in  full  before  goods  are 
shipped,  or  will  permit  *'part  payment,"  **  C.O.D.,"  ''subject 
to  approval,"  ''charge  account,"  etc.  If  one  intends  to  make 
payment  in  advance,  his  letter  should  state  the  form  in  which 
the  money  is  remitted  and  the  amount  of  remittance. 


236 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


Forms  like  the  following  are  sometimes  used  in  making 
remittances  or  provision  for  payment : 

I  inclose  a  check  on  the  Trenton  City  Bank  for 
^18.50,  which  includes  cost  of  collection. 

You  will  find  inclosed  a  draft  for  $350  on  the 
Meridian  Trust  Company,  indorsed  in  your  favor. 

I  have  inclosed  an  American  Railway  Express 
money  order  for  $32,  which  includes  express 
charges . 

Please  ship  the  goods  by  freight,  f.o.b.,  on 
sixty  days'  credit.  We  refer  you  to  the  City  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Conway  and  to  our  rating  in  Brad- 
street's. 

Model  Form 


29  Bow  St. 

Cincinnati 

January  1 

19— 

Park,  Smith  and  Company 

Grand  Rapids 

Michigan 

Gentlemen: 

Please  ship  via  fast 

freight  the  following  goods,  sub-      1 

ject  to  your  best  cash  discount: 

4  #3116 

Antique  Card  Tables 

12  #635 

Brass  Bedsteads 

3  #59A 

Cheval  Glasses 

6  #3016 

Fancy  Rockers 

2  #835 

Music  Cabinets 

2  #1396 

Oak  Sideboards 

3  #1896 

Oak  Dining  Tables 

18  #3192 

••     "   Chairs 

9  #876 

Woven  Wire  Springs 

I  am  permitted  to  re 

fer  you  to  the  Second  National 

Bank 

of  Cincinnati  as  to  my  business  standing,  and  am  prepared  to    | 

remit  on  receipt  of  your 

invoice. 

Yours  truly. 

THE  BUYING  LETTER  237 

EXERCISE  4 

Write  the  following  letter : 

April  5,  19—.  D.  A.  Macrady,  Kirby,  N.Y.,  orders  of 
George  P.  Morris,  152  Central  St.,  Albany,  N.Y.,  i  pr.  men's 
shoes,  No.  6,  "  Redford,"  style  4,  $7.50;  i  bbl.  flour,  "  Cree- 
don,"  $12;  10  lb.  rice,  $0.90;  i  cask  kerosene  oil,  $  i  o.  Shoesare 
to  be  sent  by  express,  remainder  of  order  by  freight.  Payment 
by  personal  check  on  First  National  Bank  of  Troy,  N.Y. 

EXERCISE  5 

F.  K.  Livingstone,  Gardner,  Wis.,  on  June  6,  19 — ,  sends 
the  following  order  to  M.  R.  Hovey  &  Co.,  West  Allis,  Wis. : 

6  doz.  No.  672  ladies'  white  canvas  outing  shoes  at  $50  a 
doz. ;  5  couch  hammocks,  khaki-colored,  same  as  order  of 
May  29,  19 — .  Charge  account  30  days.  Goods  to  be  sent 
by  express. 

In  writing  this  letter  remember  that  though  it  duplicates  a 
previous  order,  it  must  be  complete.  The  buyer  should  not  com- 
pel the  seller  to  refer  to  a  previous  letter  in  order  to  identify 
goods.    In  other  words,  each  letter  should  be  complete  in  itself. 

It  is  not  usual  to  think  of  the  buying  letter  as  requiring  the 
you  attitude.  It  is,  however,  a  desirable  point  of  view  when 
considering  the  clearness  of  what  you  have  written.  Put  your- 
self in  the  reader's  place.  That  you  can  understand  what  you 
have  written  is  not  a  certain  guarantee  that  your  reader  can. 
An  effective  buying  letter  should  contain  the  words  that  con- 
vey to  the  reader  the  exact  meaning  that  those  words  convey 
to  you. 

EXERCISE  6 

Write  a  buying  letter,  complete  in  all  details  in  answer  to 
the  following  circular  notice. 

Order  all  or  any  of  the  goods  specified. 

Check  your  letter  according  to  directions  given  on  page  230, 
to  see  that  no  important  statement  is  omitted. 


238  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


MENS  BELTS,  45c. 

(Limited  Quantity) 

ENGLISH  OXHIDE  -  TAN  AND  BLACK 

A  DISCONTINUED  LINE,    WE  GIVE  YOU  THE  BENEFIT 

Black  or  Tan  Leather 

With  Brass  Buckle $2.00 

Black  Tubular  Calfskin 

With  Gun  Metal  Buckle 2.25 

Same  in  Pigskin 2.50 

Solid  Pigskin 

Leather  Covered  Buckle 4.00 

Black  Seal  Goat 

Double  and  Stitched,  with  Solid  Nickel  Buckle 4.00 

WINSHIP  LEATHER  STORE 

71  Broadway  Harrisburg,  Pa. 


141.  Subscriptions.  In  subscribing  for  a  newspaper  or  maga- 
zine it  is  best  to  state  specifically  (i)  the  amount  of  money 
inclosed ;  (2)  when  the  subscription  is  to  begin ;  (3)  how  long 
it  is  to  run. 

643  West  Sixty-third  St. 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 
December  1,  19 — 
The  Curtis  Publishing  Company 
Independence  Square 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Gentlemen: 

You  will  find  inclosed  an  express  money  order 
for  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents,  for  which  please 
send  the  Ladies'  Home  Journal  to  my  address  for  one 
year,  beginning  with  the  first  issue  of  January, 
1921. 

Yours  truly. 


THE  BUYING  LETTER  239 

EXERCISE  7 

Y  I.  Subscribe  for  one  year  to  Munseys  Magazine,  $3  ;  pub- 
lishers, The  Frank  A.  Munsey  Company,  175  Fifth  Avenue, 
New  York  City. 

2.  Renew  your  subscription  to  The  American  Boy,  ;?2.50  a 
year ;  pubhshers,  The  Sprague  PubHshing  Company,  Detroit, 
Mich. 

3 .  Write  a  letter  to  the  publisher  of  a  local  newspaper,  asking 
him  to  send  his  paper  to  your  summer  home  for  two  months. 

4.  Write  a  letter  to  Street  &  Smith,  cor.  of  Seventh  Avenue 
and  15  th  Street,  New  York  City,  publishers  of  ^//^j-Z^^'i- J/^^^- 
zine.  Ask  them  to  change  your  address  as  a  subscriber  to  that 
magazine. 

Note  i.  In  asking  a  publisher  to  change  your  address,  give  the  old 
address  as  well  as  the  new. 

Note  2.  If  the  writer  does  not  mention  the  issue  with  which  his  sub- 
scription is  to  begin,  the  publisher  usually  sends  the  next  month's  issue. 

EXERCISE  8 

\ 

1 .  Write  a  letter,  ordering  six  articles  from  a  grocery  store, 
a  hardware  store,  or  a  department  store.  Ask  to  have  goods 
charged  to  your  account. 

2.  Write  a  letter  to  a  farmer  in  a  neighboring  town,  asking 
him  to  send  you  CO. D.  one  bushel  of  apples  (mention  variety) 
at  the  price  quoted  in  his  advertisement  in  a  local  paper. 

3.  Write  to  a  mail-order  house  in  Chicago,  and  ask  to  have 
sent  to  you  by  parcel  post  a  pair  of  shoes  listed  in  their  catalogue. 
Mention  catalogue  number  and  give  size  of  shoes  wanted. 
Inclose  money  order. 

EXERCISE  9 

Write  a  letter,  giving  a  cash  order  for  one  of  the  articles  de- 
scribed below.  Without  destroying  its  clearness,  see  how  con- 
cise you  can  make  your  identification  of  the  article  you  wish. 


240  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

TAFFETA  RIBBON  REMNANTS  —  4^  inches  wide,  all 
silk,  from  2  to  i  o  yards  in  length ;  colors,  pink,  white,  cream, 
maize,  navy,  old  rose,  royal  blue,  reseda,  brown,  gray.  Price, 
20 0  a  yard.    Lipson  Company,  57  Arch  St.,  Chicago,  111. 

THE  ONLY  SELF-THUMBING  REEL  MADE  — $6; 
New  Model  F  with  jewel  caps — $7.50.  2  inches  high.  Pil- 
lars, 1 1  inches.  4-multiple ;  sliding  click  and  drag.  Inside 
the  spool  is  a  simple  device  that  thumbs  the  reel  mechanically, 
centrifugally  provides  a  slight  pressure  (reduced  to  nothing  as 
the  bait  slows  down),  and  controls  the  speed  more  evenly  than 
any  thumb  can  do  it.    Everite  Reel  Co.,  Washington,  Ind. 

EXERCISE  10 

To  complete  the  following  exercise  each  student  should  write 
three  letters. 

Secure  from  an  advertisement,  a  catalogue,  or  an  exercise 
in  this  book  a  description  of  some  article  and  the  name  and 
address  of  the  seller. 

1.  Write  a  buyer's  letter  for  the  article  you  wish  to  have. 
Pass  your  letter  to  some  other  student. 

2.  Write  a  seller's  reply  to  the  letter  passed  to  you,  giving 
one  of  the  following  replies  : 

a.  Seller  has  not  the  desired  article  in  stock  and  cannot 
secure  it  before  a  month's  time,  but  he  describes  an  article 
which  he  has  in  stock  and  recommends  it  as  a  substitute. 

b.  Seller  says  that  the  price  named  by  buyer  has  been  super- 
seded in  the  new  catalogue  by  a  10  per  cent  advance.  He 
holds  buyer's  letter,  awaiting  further  information. 

c.  Seller  writes  that  by  agreement  with  his  representatives 
he  does  not  sell  to  retail  trade,  and  gives  buyer  the  names 
and  addresses  of  two  firms  in  buyer's  state  that  handle  article 
described. 

3.  Pass  the  letter  you  have  just  written  to  the  student  who 
wrote  the  buyer's  letter  to  which  yours  is  an  answer. 

4.  Answer  the  seller's  letter  you  have  just  received,  termi- 
nating the  correspondence. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  SELLING  LETTER 

142.  Importance.  Selling  letters  are  in  many  respects  the 
most  important  part  of  all  business  correspondence.  Just  what 
proportion  of  the  business  letter-writing  of  the  world  is  made 
up  of  selling  letters  no  one  knows,  but  the  aggregate  certainly 
represents  millions  of  letters  annually.  The  average  cost  of  a 
sales  letter  is  conservatively  estimated  to  be  not  less  than  six- 
teen cents.  A  little  figuring  makes  evident  how  enormous  a 
sum  must  be  spent  each  year  for  sales  letters.  That  such  vast 
amounts  are  spent  on  the  production  and  distribution  of  this 
type  of  letter  is  indicative  of  the  value  placed  upon  it  by  the 
business  world.  A  brief  consideration  of  the  extraordinary  vol- 
ume of  business  done  by  mail-order  departments  and  houses 
is  a  concrete  illustration  of  the  possibilities  of  selling  effectively 
by  written  communications. 

143.  Object.  The  name  of  this  letter  suggests  its  one  prime 
object,  —  the  selling  of  goods  or  services. 

Although  a  personal  interview,  or  often  a  telephone  message, 
is  generally  regarded  as  a  very  effective  means  of  selling,  the 
use  of  such  means  alone  could  not  accomplish  the  increasingly 
large  share  of  the  world's  business  which  is  being  done  by 
letter.  Indeed,  a  letter  is  often  necessary  to  supplement  or  /^ 
confirm  the  statements  made  by  word  of  mouth.  Obviously, 
too,  where  a  salesman  can  visit  but  a  limited  number  of  ^ 
possible  customers  in  a  given  time,  the  selling  letter  in  the 
same  time  can  reach  hundreds.  It  is  not  sufficient,  however, 
merely  to  have  your  letter  delivered  to  your  prospective  cus- 
tomer ;  it  must  be  effective  when  it  does  reach  him ;  that  is,  it 

241 


242  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

must  either  effect  a  sale  or  pave  the  way  for  one.  To  the 
extent  that  a  sales  letter  fails  to  do  either  of  these  two  things 
it  has  not  fulfilled  its  mission. 

144.  Characteristics.  The  selling  letter  is  a  form  of  adver- 
tisement, for  it  calls  attention  to  something  for  sale.  We  shall 
learn  in  the  chapter  on  advertising  that  the  aim  of  an  adver- 
tisement is  to  (I )  attract  attention  ;  (2)  arouse  interest ;  (3)  create 
desire ;  and  (4)  inspire  action. 

A  selling  letter  which  is  sent  to  a  person  who  is  definitely  seek- 
ing a  purchase  may  receive  attention  even  if  not  in  an  especially 
attractive  form,  but  even  here  the  selling  letter  gains  by  being 
at  its  best.  As  we  shall  see,  in  the  case  of  the  great  majority 
of  letters  of  this  sort  it  is  necessary  that  they  meet  all  the 
requirements  outlined  if  they  are  to  accomplish  their  purpose. 

Clearly,  in  order  to  attract  favorable  attention  the  letter 
must  have  a  pleasing  appearance.  Interest  will  not  be  aroused 
and  desire  created  if  it  is  colorless  or  offensive  in  expression. 
Nowhere  is  it  more  necessary  to  follow  the  canons  of  grammar 
and  composition  than  in  letters  of  this  type.  Action,  or  the 
placing  of  an  order,  can  result  only  if  desire  exists.  Some  of 
the  devices  for  inspiring  action  will  be  discussed  later. 

EXERCISE  1 

Write  briefly,  explaining  what  is  meant  by  ''the  canons  of 
grammar  and  composition."  Mention  some  of  the  reasons  why 
it  is  important  to  observe  these. 

145.  Classification.  Selling  letters  may  be  classified  under 
two  heads : 

1.  Circular  (general)  letters,  including  follow-up  letters. 
a.  To  the  "  trade  "  in  general. 

h.  To  persons  known  or  unknown  to  the  writer. 

2.  Personal  letters. 

a.  To  a  particular  person,  offering  to  sell  him  something. 

b.  To  a  particular  person,  answering  his  inquiry  about  some- 
thing he  wishes  to  buy,  or  a  reply  to  an  inquiry. 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  243 

146.  The  circular  letter.  A  circular  selling  letter  is  a  form 
of  advertising.  In  it  the  seller  seeks  to  interest  in  the  article 
for  sale  prospective  buyers  whom  he  does  not  know  person- 
ally or  to  whom  he  has  not  the  time  to  write  personally. 

The  ineffectiveness  of  this  kind  of  letter  frequently  lies  in 
its  impersonal  character.  The  one  who  receives  it  is  not  likely 
to  be  as  warmly  interested  in  its  contents  as  in  those  of  a  per- 
sonal letter.  He  probably  feels  that  hundreds  and  perhaps 
thousands  of  persons  have  received  similar  letters. 

Few  personal  letters,  known  to  be  such,  are  passed  unread ; 
but  thousands,  probably  millions,  of  circular  letters  find  their 
way  to  the  wastebasket  after  receiving  scarcely  a  glance.  A 
circular  letter  should  be  so  written  that  it  will  receive  at  least 
a  little  of  the  attention  accorded  a  personal  letter. 

Some  business  firms,  taking  advantage  of  the  accuracy  of 
duplicating  and  typewriting  machines,  prepare  circular  letters 
which,  in  appearance  at  least,  resemble  personal  letters.  There 
seems  to  be  no  sound  reason  why  a  circular  letter  need  attempt 
to  appear  anything  else  than  what  it  is.  Few  business  men 
are  likely  to  be  ^deceived  into  believing  that  such  a  letter  is 
really  personal.  If  it  is  to  have  consideration,  it  must  have 
merit  as  a  circular  letter  and  not  because  it  is  a  good  imitation 
of  a  personal  letter.  The  writer  of  this  type  of  letter  who 
knows  his  trade  can  often  add  what  amounts  to  a  personal 
touch  by  showing  his  sympathetic  understanding  of  its  needs. 

147.  Specific  directions.  A  circular  letter  should  be  suffi- 
ciently broad  to  reach  everybody  for  whom  it  is  intended 
and  yet  personal  enough  to  have  individual  interest.  A  letter 
of  this  kind  should  have  the  following  qualities : 

1.  It  should  have  at  the  beginning  a  statement  likely  to  interest  the 
receiver  at  once. 

2.  It  should  mention  the  strong  points  of  the  article  for  sale. 

3.  It  should  be  direct  and  to  the  point. 

4.  It  should  be  truthful  and,  as  far  as  possible,  be  its  own  evidence 
of  the  truth  of  its  statements. 


244  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Generally  a  circular  letter  should  plainly  indicate  what  the 
sender  wishes  the  receiver  to  do.  If  he  is  expected  to  mail  an 
order,  a  blank  form  which  he  can  fill  out  should  be  inclosed ; 
if  it  is  desired  that  he  should  inquire  further,  he  should  be 
shown  how  to  make  inquiry  easily ;  if  the  advertiser  wishes 
the  prospective  customer  to  allow  an  agent  to  call,  the  cus- 
tomer should  receive  a  card,  upon  which  is  printed  such  a 
request  for  him  to  sign. 

Circular  Announcement 


THE  CONTINENTAL  CLOTHING  HOUSE 

Weston  St.,  Milwaukee 

SPECL\L  INDUCEMENTS  FOR  CUSTOMERS 


December  23,  19— 
Dear  Sir: 

During  the  month  of  January  we  hold  our  ANNUAL  REDUC- 
TION SALE  of  Winter  Overcoats.  Men's  Furnishing  Goods.  Hats, 
and  Shoes. 

We  shall  make  radical  reductions  from  regular  prices 
that  will  show  you  a  saving  in  many  cases  of  from  25  to  50 
per  cent. 

Thursday,  December  26. 

Friday.  December  27, 

are  set  aside  for  you  to  make  your  selections  before  the 
sale  is  advertised  in  the  newspapers,  Saturday.  December  28. 

Our  charge  customers  may  take  full  advantage  of  this 
important  January  sale  and  have  purchases  charged  to  their 
account,  the  bill  of  which  will  not  be  rendered  until 
February  1. 

Yours  very  truly. 

The  Continental  Clothing  House 
P.S.   Please  present  this  letter. 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  245 

148.  The  personal  touch.  A  circular  letter  may  be  addressed 
to  a  particular  class  of  customers  with  whom  the  sender  may 
claim  a  certain  acquaintance ;  for  instance,  the  "  charge  "  cus- 
tomers of  a  firm,  customers  who  are  married  women,  the 
subscribers  to  a  former  issue  of  stock,  etc.  A  circular  letter 
addressed  to  such  a  class  may  differ  much  from  one  sent 
indiscriminately.  It  is  generally  assumed  that  the  receiver 
will  be  somewhat  pleased  and  interested  if  he  is  made  to  feel 
that  he  belongs  to  a  special  class  with  whom  the  writer  believes 
it  pays  to  correspond. 

Dear  Madam  : 

We  desire  to  express  our  appreciation  of  the 
patronage  you  have  accorded  us,  and  take  pleasure 
in  announcing  our  greatest  sale. 

Inclosed  you  will  find  a  circular  which  will 
more  fully  explain  the  purpose  of  our  great 

THIRD  OF  A  CENTURY  SALE 

We  shall  use  every  endeavor  to  conduct  this 
sale  in  such  a  manner  that  you  will  be  served 
promptly  and  without  annoyance.  We  trust  you  may 
secure  some  of  the  exceptional  values  we  shall 
offer  during  the  week  of  June  24-29,  19 — . 
Very  truly  yours, 

F.  S.  Bowditch  Company 

To  Students: 

Now  that  the  vacation  is  approaching  and  you 
will  be  homeward  bound,  why  not  let  Colman's  Ex- 
press Company  handle  your  baggage? 

This  company  maintains  delivery  service  in  most 
college  towns  as  it  does  here  in  Greenfield.  We 
know  from  experience  the  kind  of  service  that  col- 
lege students  wish.  A  call  on  our  office  by  tele- 
phone or  otherwise  will  mean  the  prompt  collection 
of  your  baggage  and  its  delivery  at  your  home  ad- 
dress in  the  shortest  possible  time.  The  receipt 
that  is  given  to  you  carries  with  it  free  insur- 
ance up  to  $50. 


246  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Not  only  does  this  service  mean  high-class 
transportation,  safety,  and  efficiency,  but  the  cost 
in  many  cases  is  considerably  less  than  the  charge 
made  for  drayage  to  and  from  the  station.   In  addi- 
tion it  saves  you  the  annoyance  and  trouble  neces- 
sary in  locating  and  making  arrangements  with 
draymen  as  well  as  the  inconvenience  of  declaring 
value  and  checking  baggage  at  a  crowded  station. 

Further  information  will  be  gladly  furnished  by 
the  company's  representatives,  and  a  trial  this 
year  will  convince  you  that  Colman's  Express  Com- 
pany's service  is  not  only  the  most  convenient  but 
the  safest  and  most  economical  method  of  trans- 
porting baggage. 

Yours  very  truly, 

j7.  /if,  ^a^w-a^ayv, 
General  Traffic  Agent 

Dear  Sir: 

For  that  trip  that  you  are  soon  to  take — your 
April  vacation,  the  convention,  or  the  summer  sea- 
son—  you  will  need  some  kind  of  trunk,  light- 
weight traveling  bag,  or  suit  case.  ,  It  may  be 
that  a  new  hand  bag,  a  leather  jewel  case,  or  a  set 
of  brushes  is  what  you  lack. 

We  appreciate  the  patronage  that  you  have  given 
us.   Our  spring  stock  has  just  been  opened,  and  we 
are  glad  to  extend  to  you,  as  one  of  our  customers, 
an  opportunity  to  have  first  choice. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Grinnell  and  Sims 

149.  Miscellaneous  uses.  The  circular  letter  is  also  frequently 
used  in  making  general  announcements,  such  as  change  of 
location,  dissolution  of  partnership,  change  in  rate  of  discount, 
introduction  of  a  new  line  of  goods,  and  the  like ;  but  in  the 
end  such  letters  are  directly  or  indirectly  designed  for  the  pur- 
pose of  all  selling  letters,  —  to  keep  the  seller  and  his  goods 
in  the  mind  of  the  possible  buyer. 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  247 


AFTER  SEPTEMBER  1,  1921 

WE  SHAIili  BE  AT  OUR  NEW  STORE  lU^ 

QUENTIJiJ  SQUARE 

JAMES  J.  liLOTD  COMPANY 


This  announcement  is  really  a  kind  of  circular  letter  in  the 
form  of  a  card. 

150.  The  follow-up  letter.  When  the  cumulative  effect  of 
two  or  more  communications  relating  to  the  same  subject  is 
desired,  follow-up  letters  are  used.  For  example,  a  publisher 
may  wish  to  call  attention  to  a  certain  book.  One  letter  in 
regard  to  this  may  go  unheeded  by  the  recipient,  but  if  two 
or  more  letters  are  sent,  it  is  probable  that  his  interest  will 
be  aroused. 

Only  persons  of  mature  knowledge  and  with  broad  experi- 
ence can  be  expected  to  write  good  follow-up  letters.  In  general, 
the  remarks  that  apply  to  circular  letters  apply  here,  but  as  a 
rule  each  follow-up  letter  should  be  in  some  way  more  em- 
phatic than  the  one  preceding  it ;  it  should  refer  to  and  be  a 
natural  sequence  to  the  preceding  one,  and  yet  should  be 
self-explanatory  and  complete  within  itself. 

Below  are  given  illustrations  of  a  first  circular  letter  and  two 
follow-up  letters : 

Dear  Sir: 

Never  have  more  important  problems  faced  this 
country  than  today.  It  is  imperative  that  every 
man  should  become  familiar  with  the  economic, 
social,  and  political  development  of  our  country, 
and  with  the  conditions  which  have  determined  that 
development.   The  current  problems  of  the  United 
States  should  be  interpreted  in  the  light  of  facts, 
both  past  and  present. 

To  enable  a  busy  man  to  familiarize  himself 
with  the  conditions  and  problems  suggested  above, 
we  have  recently  published  "An  American  History" 
by  Professor  D.  J.  Maxwell,  the  eminent  writer 
and  historian. 


248  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Professor  Maxwell  has  treated  his  subject 
broadly,  fairly,  and  fearlessly,  and  with  due  regard 
to  the  present  as  well  as  to  the  past.   Cause  and 
effect  are  clearly  shown. 

This  new  work  (600  pages)  is  bound  in  durable 
cloth  and  is  fully  and  artistically  illustrated 
with  choice  wood  engravings  and  half-tone  insets, 
and  is  amply  supplied  with  superior  maps. 

If  you  wish  to  examine  "An  American  History" 
please  sign  and  return  to  us  the  inclosed  card,  and 
a  copy  of  this  book  will  be  sent  you,  express  paid. 
Price  and  terms  are  printed  on  the  card. 

Yours  truly. 

Brown  and  Company 

Dear  Sir: 

Not  having  received  from  you  a  card  in  response 
to  our  letter  of  January  3,  with  reference  to  Pro- 
fessor Maxwell's  "An  American  History,"  we  venture 
to  inclose  an  illustrated  and  descriptive  pamphlet 
which  will  give  you  a  good  idea  of  the  book. 

The  reader  of  "An  American  History"  will  be  pre- 
pared for  an  understanding  not  only  of  the  periods 
of  discovery  and  colonization,  etc.,  but  of  the 
periods  of  reconstruction  and  of  the  political  and 
industrial  development  since  the  Civil  War,  and  an 
intelligent  appreciation  of  modern  politics. 

Please  note  the  inclusion  of  a  discussion  of 
such  subjects  as 

The  Importance  of  the  Great  West  and  its 

Development 
The  Growth  of  Machine  Politics 
Civil-Service  Reform 
Immigration 

Growth  of  "Big"  Business 
Conservation  of  National  Resources 
America  and  the  World  War 

We  urge  you  to  sign  and  return  to  us  the  in- 
closed card. 

Yours  truly. 

Brown  and  Company 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  249 

Dear  Sir: 

In  the  New  York  Sun,  issue  of  January  20,  19—, 
there  appeared  the  following  review  of  Professor 
Maxwell's  "An  American  History": 

"The  author  and  publishers  are  to  be  congratu- 
lated upon  the  appearance  of  this  new  history.  It 
is  a  timely  book  and  is  enlivened  by  the  clear, 
vigorous  style  so  characteristic  of  Professor  Max- 
well. The  Colonial  Period  and  the  Revolutionary 
War  are  finished  and  out  of  the  way  before  one 
fourth  of  the  book  is  consumed.  At  the  close  of 
the  Civil  War  there  is  nearly  one  third  of  the  book 
(200  pages)  yet  unused.  From  Bull  Run  to  the  fall 
of  Richmond  takes  only  thirty  pages.  This  propor- 
tion is  maintained.  The  Reconstruction  Period,  a 
subject  full  of  possible  controversy,  is  treated 
frankly,  boldly,  and  fairly.  The  rest  of  the  book 
is  devoted  to  a  discussion  of  present-day  problems, 
—  issues  like  railway  regulation,  control  of  trusts, 
conservation,  direct  legislation,  and  corruption  in 
politics.  America's  part  in  the  World  War  and  sub- 
sequent problems  are  vigorously  and  clearly  set 
forth.  The  reader  is  given  a  chance  to  think  on 
live  topics  and  to  put  the  study  of  history  to  a 
practical  use." 

The  Chicago  Times,  issue  of  February  1,  con- 
tains the  following: 

"If  Maxwell's  *An  American  History'  is  as 
widely  read  as  it  deserves  to  be,  we  shall  have  a 
democracy  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name.  This  book 
has  red  blood  in  it." 

We  believe  that  a  book  deserving  of  such  high 
praise  is  worthy  of  a  place  in  the  library  of  every 
American.  Will  you  not  show  your  interest  in  this 
book  by  mailing  today  the  inclosed  card?  To  do 
this  will  cost  you  nothing  and  will  enable  you  to 
judge  for  yourself  as  to  the  merits  of  Maxwell's 
"An  American  History."  For  terms  please  read  the 
inclosed  card. 

Yours  truly. 

Brown  and  Company 


2SO  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  2 

As  representative  for  A.  B.  Groce  and  Company,  prepare  a 
circular  letter  with  two  follow-up  letters  in  which  you  offer  for 
sale  (i)  preferred  stock  of  the  Whittier  Magazine  Company 
at  lOO,  7%  guaranteed,  and  (2)  common  stock  of  the  same 
company  at  84,  paying  the  present  year  5%  on  par  (100).  In 
your  second  letter  state  that  since  you  first  wrote,  the  magazine 
company  has  declared  a  common-stock  half-yearly  dividend  on 
a  5^  basis.  Say  that  you  still  have,  however,  a  few  shares  of 
common  stock  at  84,  although  the  price  is  certain  to  rise.  In 
your  third  letter  state  that  no  preferred  stock  will  be  on  the 
market  after  the  sale  of  the  lot  which  you  hold,  as  the  directors 
of  the  magazine  company  have  voted  that  in  future  all  transfers 
must  be  made  direct  to  the  company  or  to  present  stockholders. 

EXERCISE  3 

Prepare  a  circular  letter  and  two  follow-up  letters,  offering 
for  sale  house  and  bungalow  lots  with  lake  frontage.  In  your 
first  letter,  describe  them  with  some  detail,  stating  your  terms. 
In  your  second  letter,  state  that  you  have  sold  a  certain  number 
since  first  writing,  mentioning  at  least  one  buyer  of  some 
prominence.  In  your  last  letter,  offer  special  terms,  giving  as 
your  reason  that  you  wish  to  close  out  the  property  quickly 
and  keep  within  the  restrictions  to  which  you  bound  yourself 
and  which  require  you  to  sell  only  to  certain  classes  of  persons. 

EXERCISE  4 

As  representative  of  your  firm,  prepare  a  circular  letter  with 
one  follow-up  letter,  in  which  you  offer  for  sale  something  about 
which  you  have  some  first-hand  knowledge.  The  following  list 
may  suggest  something  to  you :  a  large  dictionary,  a  popular 
encyclopedia,  furniture  sets  on  terms,  ''Ready-to-Build"  houses, 
gasoline  motor  boats,  automobiles,  weatherproof  paints,  agri- 
cultural machines,  kitchen  stoves. 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  251 

EXERCISE  5 

Note  to  Instructor.  This  exercise  should  be  assigned  at  least  two 
weeks  before  the  date  on  which  it  is  due. 

(I)  Select,  from  magazines,  newspapers,  catalogues,  and  the 
like,  one  or  more  (at  least  three,  if  possible)  interesting  adver- 
tisements about  some  article ;  (2)  mount  your  advertisements 
on  sheets  of  paper ;  (3)  underline  in  the  advertisements  what 
you  consider  to  be  the  three  strongest  selling  points ;  (4)  out- 
line the  contents  of  a  circular  sales  letter  and  two  follow-up 
letters,  making  each  of  the  three  selling  points  the  main  idea 
of  a  letter ;  (5)  write  the  three  letters ;  (6)  assemble  your  work 
and  submit  it  tO  your  instructor. 

151.  The  personal  letter.  Personal  letters  are  of  two  kinds : 
(i)  those  which  are  adapted  to  individuals  from  circular  sales 
letters ;  (2)  those  which  are  intended  for  one  person  only  and 
which  would  not  be  suitable  for  another. 

The  circular  sales  letters  which  have  been  described  in  the 
previous  part  of  this  chapter  are  generally  sent  broadcast  by 
business  houses  to  regular  and  prospective  customers.  The 
first  kind  of  personal  letter  which  is  mentioned  is  in  content 
substantially  like  the  general  circular  letter,  but  it  is  separately 
written  with  a  particular  person  in  mind  in  each  instance,  and 
the  name  and  address  of  the  person  are  given.  A  small- 
business  man  or  an  agent  may  have  a  select  few  of  his  cus- 
tomers, to  whose  attention  he  wishes  to  bring  some  special 
thing  which  he  has  for  sale.  He  sends  a  personal  but  formal 
sales  letter.  This  may  precede  or  follow  more  personal  letters 
or  may  supplement  the  circular  letter  or  other  advertising 
matter.  For  example,  a  life-insurance  agent  may  wish  to  bring 
to  the  attention  of  a  few  of  his  acquaintances  through  the 
medium  of  such  a  letter  a  certain  form  of  policy  in  advance 
of  a  personal  letter  or  an  interview.  Similar  letters  might  be 
written  by  bond  salesmen,  brokers,  agents  for  farm  products, 
or  anyone  who  has  something  special  to  sell.  The  following 
letters  are  illustrations  of  this  kind  of  correspondence. 


252  business  english 

New  Bedford  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company 

CHARLES  H.  JONES,  SPECIAL  AGENT 

176  Congress  Street,  Boston 

August  15,   19— 
Mr.  Elias   M.  Wesley 
Watertown,   Mass. 

Dear  Sir: 

Your  age  will  change  on  September  10.  After 
that  date  life  insurance  will  be  rated  at  your  age 
on  your  next  birthday.  Do  you  know  that  you  can 
make  a  considerable  saving  by  taking  up  the  matter 
before  September  10?  After  that  date  you  will  be 
rated  at  your  next  age,  thirty. 

Furthermore,  in  delaying  action  you  even  run  a 
risk  much  greater  than  your  chance  of  dying,  — the 
risk  of  becoming  uninsurable.  Life-insurance  com- 
panies rejected,  during  the  past  year,  one  out  of 
every  nine  applicants.  This  is  eight  times  the 
death  rate  at  the  age  of  thirty. 

Premiums  may  be  paid  annually,  semiannually,  or 
quarterly.  If  it  is  not  convenient  for  you  to  pay 
any  portion  of  the  premium  just  now,  I  can  easily 
arrange  for  you  to  have  the  benefit  of  insurance 
at  your  present  age  without  immediate  cash  payment 
on  your  part. 

While  I  consider  the  contract  described  in  the 
inclosed  circular  as  the  one  most  likely  to  inter- 
est you,  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  mail  you  informa- 
tion regarding  other  policies  if  you  will  return 
the  inclosed  card. 

My  long  experience  and  close  association  with 
the  Company  are  at  your  service. 

Very  truly  yours, 

t&Q^  /if.   ^cyyu&Qy, 
Special  Agent 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  253 

March  15,  19— 
Mr.  George  M.  Henry 
Waben,  Illinois 

My  dear  Mr .  Kenry  : 

All  personal  property  in  your  possession  on 
April  first  is  taxable  for  the  current  year.  Have 
you  not  on  hand  a  little  money  that  you  would  like 
to  invest  at  this  time  in  gilt-edge  nontaxable 
stocks  or  bonds?  We  inclose  a  list  of  such.  Please 
note  that  these  securities  yield  a  net  return  rang- 
ing from  4  1/2  to  6  per  cent,  an  unusually  high 
rate  for  investments  of  this  grade. 

We  have  in  our  possession  full  information  in 
regard  to  the  securities  which  we  have  to  offer. 
This  we  will  gladly  put  at  your  disposal. 

Please  sign  the  inclosed  card  and  return  it  to 
us  in  the  accompanying  stamped  envelope  if  you 
wish  one  of  our  salesmen  to  call  on  you. 

Yours  truly, 

Patey,  Bryant  and  Company 

EXERCISE  6 

Outline  a  letter  offering  for  sale  a  bicycle  (typewriter,  auto- 
mobile, wagon,  force  pump,  or  any  machine  or  vehicle  with 
which  you  are  familiar).  Following  the  general  directions  of 
your  outline,  write 

1.  To  a  young  man  who  would  probably  want  terms. 

2.  To  a  person  considerably  older  than  yourself  who  would 
probably  pay  cash. 

3.  To  a  second-hand  dealer. 

EXERCISE  7 

You  have  for  sale  ten  barrels  of  apples.  Write  a  suitable 
letter  to  each  of  the  following,  adapting  it  in  each  case  to  the 
individual.    Describe  your  merchandise  and  name  your  price. 


254  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

1.  To  a  lady,  offering  her  one  barrel  for  home  use. 

2.  To  a  boarding-house  keeper,  offering  one  barrel  at  a  cer- 
tain figure  or  five  barrels  at  a  lower  rate. 

3.  To  a  grocer,  offering  the  lot  for  a  lump  sum. 


EXERCISE  8 

You  are  leaving  town  and  wish  to  sell  the  furniture  in  your 
room.   Write  sales  letters  to  the  following  persons : 

1.  A  young  man  who  has  just  come  to  town,  and  who  is 
likely  to  furnish  a  room,  offering  him  the  lot  on  terms. 

2.  A  married  man  (or  woman),  offering  an  opportunity  to 
select  what  is  wanted.    Terms  cash. 


152.  Reply  to  a  letter  of  inquiry.  From  the  point  of  view 
of  the  seller  his  advertisement  has  been  successful  when  it 
leads  to  an  inquiry  from  some  prospective  buyer.  A  letter  of 
inquiry  gives  the  seller  the  opportunity  to  write  directly  to  the 
inquirer,  telling  him  about  the  article  for  sale.  Of  course,  not 
all  letters  of  inquiry  are  followed  by  sales  ;  but  if  the  seller  fails 
to  make  a  sale  after  receiving  such  a  letter,  he  should  remem- 
ber—  like  the  good  sportsman  who  fails  to  land  a  fish  —  that 
he  has  probably  left  something  undone. 

153.  The  letter  of  reply  to  a  letter  of  inquiry,  i.  The  letter 
of  reply  must  be  clear.  If  the  seller  fails  to  answer  the  inquiries 
clearly,  the  sale  is  probably  lost. 

2.  It  must  have  a  fixed  point  of  view.  The  writer  should 
put  himself  in  the  place  of  the  questioner.  His  letter  must 
not  necessarily  be  one  that  anybody  ought  to  understand,  but 
one  that  the  inquirer  will  tmderstand. 

3.  It  must  be  courteous.  Every  inquirer  should  be  considered 
worth  thoughtful  attention.  Small  orders  often  precede  larger 
ones. 

Conciseness  is  desirable,  but  in  an  answer  to  a  letter  of  inquiry 
no  necessary  detail  of  explanation  should  be  omitted. 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  255 

Letter  of  Inquiry 


Houston,  Texas 
May  15.  19— 

The  Galveston  Motor  Company 
Galveston.  Texas 

Gentlemen: 

I  have  been  favorably  impressed  by  your  advertisement, 
in  the  Texas  Courier,  of  a  Locomobile,  and  should  like  to 
know  whether  you  would  allow  my  chauffeur  to  bring  the  car 
over  here  next  Saturday  on  an  experimental  run.   I  do  not 
drive  a  car  myself,  but  should  like  to  see  your  machine. 

You  do  not  mention  terms.   Is  $1500  your  best  cash 

price?      ^ 

Yours  truly. 


EXERCISE  9 

Criticize  the  reply  given  below  to  the  above  letter.  Rewrite 
and  improve. 

May  16,   19— 

Mr.  A.  A.  Clement 
Dear  Sir: 

Your  favor  to  hand  and  beg  to  state  we  have  a 
man  of  ours  who  demonstrates  our  cars  to  inquiring 
parties.  The  car  will  be  run  out  for  two  parties 
who  want  to  buy  next  Saturday.   If  you  want  this 
bargain  you  had  better  see  it  yourself  Saturday  as 
it  is  liable  to  go  at  any  time.  $1500  is  our  cash 
price  —  no  disc't. 

Yours  respectfully, 

/.  B,  m'SvaXA 

154.  Replies  to  general  inquiries.  A  business  man  is  likely 
to  receive  many  letters  of  inquiry  about  his  goods,  in  which  the 
writers  give  no  clue  as  to  what  first  induced  them  to  write  to 
him.    They   may  not  refer  to  catalogues,   advertisements,  or 


256  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

circular  letters,  and  they  may  give  only  the  vaguest  description 
of  what  they  want.  Such  inquirers,  however,  should  be  given 
careful  attention. 

Below  is  given  such  a  letter  of  inquiry  with  an  appropriate 


answer  : 


McAlester,  Okla. 

June  2,  19 — 


Stoddard-Wright  Co. 

St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Gentlemen: 

I  have  been  told  that  there  is  an  artificial 
baseball  curver  which  can  be  slipped  on  the  finger 
in  some  way  to  help  an  inexperienced  player  to  learn 
how  to  curve  a  ball.   I  don't  seem  to  be  able  to 
find  just  what  I  want  in  any  of  our  local  stores, 
and  I  should  like  to  know  if  you  have  such  a  thing 
for  sale. 

I  have  inclosed  a  stamp  for  reply. 

Yours  truly. 

Note  that  in  the  reply  the  Stoddard-Wright  Company  have 
changed  Bob  to  the  more  dignified  form,  Robert. 

Mr.  Robert  Stewart  ^^^®  ^'  ^^— 

McAlester,  Okla. 

Dear  Sir: 

In  reply  to  your  letter  of  June  2,  we  regret  to 
say  that  we  do  not  have  in  stock  any  such  article  as 
you  describe.  We  are  informed,  however,  that  there 
is  an  artificial  baseball  curver,  patented  some 
years  ago,  designed  to  be  fastened  on  the  hand,  and 
we  have  written  our  New  York  agent  about  the  matter. 
On  receipt  of  his  reply  we  shall  write  you  further. 

Under  a  separate  cover  we  have  sent  you  our 
catalogue  of  sporting  goods.  On  page  65  you  will 
find  marked  a  mechanical  baseball  curving  machine 
that  may  interest  you. 

Yours  truly, 

Stoddard-Wright  Company 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  257 

EXERCISE  10 

Miss  Mary  L.  Rose  (supply  address)  writes,  asking  you  to 
send  at  once,  C.O.D.,  express  prepaid,  3  doz.  manila-covered, 
ruled  blank  books,  about  8i  x  6i  in.,  at  8o<f  a  doz.  She 
promises  a  later  order  of   20  doz.  at  the  same  terms. 

1.  Write  a  reply,  accepting  offer  and  saying  that  you  have 
shipped  3  doz.  books. 

2.  Write  a  reply,  declining  terms  proposed,  but  offer  to  ex- 
press, prepaid,  23  doz.  at  86 J 0  a*doz. ;  or  3  doz.  at  880,  f.o.b. 
Explain  carefully  why  you  cannot  accept  Miss  Rose's  terms. 

155.  Criticizing  your  work.  You  may  think  that  in  business 
letters  of  the  kind  required  in  Exercise  10,  there  is  small 
opportunity  for  attending  to  the  laws  of  composition.  Never- 
theless, these  laws  do  apply.  Read  your  letters  carefully.  Is 
there  anything  in  either  that  may  properly  be  omitted?  If 
there  is,  tmity  is  violated.  Are  your  statements  well  arranged ; 
in  other  words,  have  they  coherence  ?  What  point  does  your 
last  letter  emphasize? 

EXERCISE  11 

Write  suitable  answers  to  the  following  inquiries : 

1.  A.  P.  Smith,  Three  Rivers,  Mich.,  writes  your  firm,  in- 
quiring about  Morris  chairs.  He  says  rather  indefinitely  that 
he  wants  "two  good  Morris  chairs  at  a  reasonable  price." 
Send  him  a  marked  catalogue,  recommend  two  styles  of  chairs, 
state  that  your  terms  are  cash  or  C.O.D.,  and  that  you 
pay  no  freight  or  express  charges  beyond  the  state  on  orders 
under  $50. 

2.  L.  B.  Morrill,  West  Tampa,  Fla.,  writes  to  the  Richard- 
son Piano  Company,  Mobile,  Ala. ;  he  wishes  to  buy  a  piano 
costing  about  $250  and  will  pay  $50  down  and  the  balance  in 
monthly  installments.    He  gives  no  references. 

3.  Pass  for  criticism  to  some  other  student  one  of  the  letters 
that  you  have  written.  In  examining  the  letter  that  you  receive 
for  criticism  you  may  refer  to  the  suggestions  on  pages  203-204. 


2S8  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  12 -Oral 

Answers  to  letters  of  inquiry  often  call  for  much  care  and  in- 
genuity. As  an  exercise  in  dealing  with  such  matters  be  prepared 
to  state  orally  how  you  would  dispose  of  the  following  problems  : 

1.  Inquirer  writes  so  poorly  that  part  of  order  cannot  be 
deciphered. 

2.  leaves  off  his  address,  he  uses  no  letterhead,  and  his 

name  is  not  familiar  to  you. 

3.  fails  to  describe  adequately  what  he  wants. 

4.  quotes  impossible  selling  prices. 

5.  asks  credit  of  a  cash  firm. 

6.  asks  a  wholesale  firm  to  sell  at  retail. 

7.  has  overdue  account  with  firm  and  asks  for  large 

consignment.    (Firm  thinks  he  is  honest.) 

8.  asks  that  goods  be   shipped  via  a  route  that  will 

charge  more  than  some  other  route. 

9.  A  comparatively  unknown  person  asks  favors  that  are 
usually  granted  only  to  well-known  and  excellent  customers. 

EXERCISE  13 

Raymond  Potter,  Elkins,  West  Virginia,  writes  to  Ginn  and 
Company,  70  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City,  asking  them  to 
send  him  a  copy  of  Carlyle's  *'  Sartor  Resartus,"  edited  by 
Saintsbury.  He  incloses  $1.10  in  payment.  Reply  as  Ginn 
and  Company's  representative,  explaining  that  their  edition  of 
''  Sartor  Resartus  *'  is  edited  by  MacMechan  and  is  widely 
approved.  Explain  that  the  mailing  price  is  $1.20  and  say 
you  are  holding  his  remittance,  awaiting  reply. 

EXERCISE  14 

Miss  Olivia  Jones  (supply  address)  writes  to  Hurlbut  Brothers, 
Publishers,  Lake  Avenue,  Chicago,  111.,  and  requests  them  to 
send  a  list  of  twelve  books  suitable  for  a  boys'  (or  a  girls')  library. 
She  will  pay  from  one  to  two  dollars  apiece  for  the  books. 

Reply  to  her  letter,  saying  that  you  have  sent  her  your  special 
catalogue.  Make  out  two  or  more  suggestive  lists,  but  say  that  you 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  259 

consider  your  juvenile  publications  all  excellent  reading  for  boys 
and  girls.  Take  pains  to  show  that  you  wish  to  help  Miss  Jones. 
One  of  your  agents  tells  you  that  she  is  wealthy  and  about  to 
endow  a  large  public  library  in  her  home  town.  Remember  the 
points  that  you  must  especially  emphasize. 

EXERCISE  15 

Answer  the  following  inquiries : 

1.  Daniel  H.  Sparks  (supply  address)  wants  your  cash  quo- 
tation on  50  bbl.  corn  meal,  f.o.b.,  for  immediate  delivery. 

2.  (Miss)  Katharine  A.  Crider  (supply  address)  wishes  you 
to  send  her  six  damask  tablecloths :  three  2  x  2  yd.  at  about 
$5  ;  three  2  x  3  yd.  at  about  $j.  She  prefers  Scotch  weave. 
Reply  that  you  are  sending  goods  of  size  specified,  at  $6.25  and 
$8.75  respectively,  Irish  linen,  C.  O.  D.,  subject  to  examination. 
Speak  favorably  of  the  tablecloths  you  send. 

EXERCISE  16 

C.  E.  Eaton,  Almeda  Company,  ,  writes  the  Whiting 

Lumber  Company, ,  asking  if  they  will  ship  the  following, 

f.o.b.,  on  60  days'  acceptance: 

3  carloads  No.  2  Cedar  Shingles,  $5.60  per  M 
I  carload  No.  i  Redwood  Shingles,  $8.10  per  M 

He  also  asks,  on  same  terms,  quotation  on  30  thousand 
|-inch  whitewood  boards,  planed  and  matched  for  ceiling, 
September  delivery. 

Write  a  reply,  accepting  order  for  cedar  shingles;  quote 
^8.15  per  M  on  redwood  shingles  No.  i,  but  offer  redwood 
shingles  No.  2  at  $5.75  per  M;  quote  whitewood  at  $7$- 
Explain  why  you  cannot  offer  more  than  30  days. 

EXERCISE  17 

H.  A.  Slade  (supply  address),  a  regular  customer  of  the  firm, 
writes  to  Saville,  Kent  &  Co.,  Whiting,  Ind.,  for  quotations  on 
immediate  shipment  of  the  following : 


26o  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

lo  bbl.  King  William  Flour 

lo  bbl.  Golden  Best  Corn  Meal 

30  doz.  Gilroy  Ginger  Ale  (i-pt.  bottles) 

5  bbl.  Good  Eating  Apples 

3  cases  Navel  Oranges 

3  bunches  Half-ripe  Bananas 

Write  a  reply. 

EXERCISE  18 

C.  H.  Flanders,  Hayes  Center,  Nebr.,  writes  the  Mitchell 
Furniture  Company,  South  Ottawa,  Nebr.,  that  he  wishes  a 
sectional  bookcase  for  his  sitting  room.  His  letter  is  very 
indefinite,  mentioning  no  approximate  price  or  style  of  case 
preferred.    Answer  the  letter.    Do  not  forget  your  catalogue. 

EXERCISE  19 

1.  Write  a  letter  to  John  A.  Savage  &  Co.  (complete  the 
address),  asking  them  to  find  you  a  house  with  requirements 
as  follows : 

Furnished  house  for  month  of  September,  near  water,  elec- 
trics, and  steam  cars ;  good  fishing,  bathing,  and  boating ;  all 
conveniences.    Price,  $75. 

2.  Pass  the  letter  you  wrote  in  i  to  some  other  student  and 
write  for  John  A.  Savage  &  Co.  a  reply  to  the  letter  you  have 
received  in  the  exchange. 

EXERCISE  20 

I.  Write  a  letter  to  A.  Stinson  &  Co.  (complete  the  address), 
asking  for  information  about  the  advertisement  given  below. 
If  you  are  not  sure  what  a  ''filler"  is,  say  so  in  your  letter. 
Ask  if  a  spring  mattress  goes  with  the  bed,  and  if  it  does  not, 
ask  what  is  the  price  of  a  suitable  mattress.  Make  any  inquiries 
you  think  necessary  about  payment,  shipment,  etc. 

BRASS  BED.  Regular  price,  $45.  With  2-inch  pillars  and 
seven  |-inch  fillers,  extra  heavy  throughout,  head  stands  63  J-  in. 
Price,  $36.50. 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  261 

2.  Write  a  letter  to  the  same  firm,  asking  for  more  informa- 
tion about  the  table  described  below.  Ask  about  the  size  of  the 
table,  the  number  of  extra  leaves,  and  add  any  other  questions 
you  would  like  to  have  answered. 

SOLID  MAHOGANY  dining  table,  heavy  pedestal  base 
in  dull  or  polished  finish.    Price,  $120. 

EXERCISE  21 
Write  one  of  the  following : 

1.  A  letter  of  inquiry  about  furniture  you  would  like  to 
buy  for  your  own  room. 

2.  A  letter  of  inquiry  about  buying  a  new  typewriter.    You 

have  a machine,  which  you  would  like  to  have  go  toward 

paying  for  the  new  one,  and  you  wish  to  pay  the  balance  of 

,  .  cost  in  installments. 

0  *  /    3.  A  letter  of  inquiry  about  a  sewing  machine  that  you  have 
V  seen  advertised  in  a  catalogue.    Ask  to  have  the  machine  sent 
on  approval.    Inquire  if  there  is  a  cash  discount  from  the  price 
quoted,  $48. 

EXERCISE  22 

Write  a  reply  to  your  letter  under  Exercise  20,  paragraph  i,  or 
exchange  your  letter  for  the  one  written  by  some  other  student 
and  answer  his  letter. 

156.  The  personal  touch.  So  many  persons  write  to  a  firm 
and  ask  practically  the  same  questions,  that  the  same  form  of 
letter  will  often  answer  adequately  inquiries  from  many  sources. 
Such  a  letter  is  called  2i  form  letter.  It  is  a  great  timesaver, 
but  it  needs  to  be  used  with  caution.  At  best  it  bears  to  a 
real  personal  letter  about  the  same  relation  that  dialogue  com- 
mitted to  memory  does  to  actual  conversation.  Some  persons 
resent  a  reply  that  does  not  seem  directed  to  them  specially. 
A  really  personal  touch  may  be  given  by  writing  a  short  letter 
to  the  inquirer,  stating  that  his  letter  has  been  received 
and  inclosing  the  regular  circular  answer  which  gives  all  the 
necessary  information. 


262  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

For  example,  the  following  is  a  circular  reply  sent  out  by  the 
A.  S.  Boyle  Company  to  thousands  of  inquirers  : 

1908  W.  8th  Street 
Cincinnati,  Ohio 
Mr.  George  Sweet  October  8,  19- 

New  Albany,  Ind. 
Dear  Sir: 

In  reply  to  your  recent  request  we  mail  you 
under  separate  cover  our  book  "Beautiful  Floors  — 
their  Finish  and  Care,"  which  contains  expert  advice 
on  the  finish  and  care  of  floors,  furniture,  and 
interior  woodwork,  — a  book  to  read  and  keep  for 
future  reference. 

The  book  gives  the  only  satisfactory  answer  to 
the  perplexing  question.  How  shall  I  finish  and  care 
best  for  my  floors? 

OLD  ENGLISH  FLOOR  WAX  is  a  little  better  than 
other  waxes — that  is  why  it  is  the  "Quality"  Wax. 
It  gives  a  rich,  subdued  luster,  is  transparent,  and 
accentuates  the  grain  of  either  natural  or  stained 
wood.   It  is  equally  suitable  for  the  finest  inlaid 
hardwood  floors  or  for  plain  pine  floors,  and  is 
also  the  most  satisfactory  finish  for  furniture  and 
interior  woodwork. 

Furthermore,  this  finish  is  the  most  sanitary, 
as  dust  and  dirt  will  not  adhere  to  it.   In  addi- 
tion, it  does  not  show  heel-marks  or  scratches  or 
become  soft  and  sticky  in  warm  weather.  A  floor 
finished  with  OLD  ENGLISH  FLOOR  WAX  presents  the 
most  handsome  appearance  with  the  least  expenditure 
of  money,  time,  and  labor. 

The  principal  dealers  in  paints  carry  a  stock  of 
our  finishes,  but  if  the  dealer  you  prefer  to  buy 
from  does  not,  and  will  not  order  for  you,  we  refer 
you  to 

W.  J.  Edmands,  221  Mt.  Austin  St.,  your  city 
Moore  &  Bradley,  138  Brattle  St.,  your  city 
Phillips  Hardware  Co.,  your  city 

and  also  the  inclosed  list  of  dealers  in  Boston,  who 
carry  a  stock  of  our  finishes.   We  trust  that  you 
will  favor  one  of  them  with  your  order. 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  263 

Any  special  information  that  you  desire  in 
regard  to  your  particular  floors  we  shall  be  pleased 
to  give  you. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  S.  Boyle  Company 

If  the  writer  wishes  to  give  his  answer  a  personal  touch,  he 
may  omit  the  date,  compHmentary  address,  and  salutation,  and 
send  the  circular  with  some  such  brief  letter  as  the  following : 

Mr.   George  Sweet 
New  Albany,    Ind. 

Dear  Sir: 

We  have  njuch  pleasure  in  answering  your  inquiry 
of  October  3,  and  inclose  a  circular  giving  some 
of  the  strong  points  of  our  English  Floor  Wax.  As 
stated  in  the  circular  letter,  we  are  also  sending 
you  our  book  "Beautiful  Floors,"  which  we  know  you 
will  find  helpful. 

Yours  very  truly, 

A,  S.  Boyle  Company 

Such  a  letter  really  adds  little  or  no  information  not  in  the 
circular,  but  it  is  one  of  those  very  little  courtesies  which  often 
induce  the  hesitating  buyer  to  send  in  an  order. 

EXERCISE  23 

Prepare  a  circular  letter  that  is  likely  to  answer  most  inquiries 
about  a  summer  cottage  you  have  for  rent. 

EXERCISE  24 

Prepare  a  circular  letter  as  an  answer  to  inquiries  concerning 
one  of  the  following : 

1.  One  of  your  textbooks. 

2.  A  typewriter. 

3.  A  schoolroom  desk. 

EXERCISE  25 
Write  a  personal  letter  to  accompany,  in  a  particular  instance, 
the  letter  you  have  prepared  in  Exercise  23. 


264  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

157.  Acknowledging  receipt  of  an  order.  It  is  sometimes 
desirable  to  acknowledge  receipt  of  an  order,  especially  when  it 
will  take  some  time  to  prepare  the  shipment.  Some  firms  ac- 
knowledge every  order  immediately,  on  the  ground  that  it  makes 
the  buyer  feel  sure  that  his  request  is  being  attended  to  promptly. 
It  is  also  a  courteous  way  of  making  the  small  buyer  realize  that 
the  seller  appreciates  small  orders  as  well  as  large  ones. 

A  Letter  of  Acknowledgment 
(Modified  block  style) 


JOHN  SHERWIN,  President  WILLIAM  SHERWIN,  Treasurer 

The  SHERWIN  Northfield  Company 

North  Michigan  Avenue 
Chicago,  Illinois 

March  5.  19— 
Dear  Mr.  Shaw: 

It  gives  us  great  pleasure  to  he  allowed  to  place  your 
name  on  our  hooks  as  one  of  our  regular  charge  customers. 
To  facilitate  the  delivery  of  merchandise  when  you  are 
patronizing  our  store,  we  are  inclosing  a  shopping  coin. 

We  trust  that  as  the  months  and  years  of  our  acquaint- 
ance go  by,  you  may  find  satisfaction  at  all  times,  not  only 
with  the  quality  of  our  merchandise  but  also  with  the  serv- 
ice we  hope  to  render.   We  believe  that  you  will  find  shop- 
ping at  our  stores  a  source  of  pleasure  an4  profit. 

Our  bills  are  rendered  the  first  of  every  month,  and  we 
prefer  that  settlement  be  made  within  ten  days. 

We  anticipate  a  liberal  share  of  your  patronage. 
Yours  truly, 

THE  SHERWIN  NORTHFIELD  COMPANY 

LJC/VRW  Sec.  Committee  of  Accounts 

Mr.  James  L.  Shaw 

20  Gray  Avenue 

Chicago.  Illinois  • 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  265 

Acknowledgment  of  an  Order 


11 

-15  Allen  St. 
New  Orleans, 
March  16. 

La. 
19— 

Messrs.  Jordan,  Outlaw 

& 

Co. 

1931  Commercial  St. 

Atlanta,  Ga. 

Gentlemen  : 

It  gives  us  pleasure 

to  acknowledge 

the  receipt  of 

your 

order  of  March  15.   We 

wi 

11  send 

you  an 

invoice  at  time 

of 

shipment  on  or  about  March  21. 

/ 

Yours 

truly. 
Smith 

Clarke  &  Co. 

The  Complete  Correspondence  in  a  Business  Transaction 


Pawtucket.  R.I. 

April  8.  19 — 

M.  F.  Nye  and  Company 

224  West  32d  Street 

New  York,  N.Y. 

Gentlemen: 

We  are  in  the  market 

for  the  following  material: 

500 

Contractor's  Shovels 

500 

Pickaxes 

150 

Heavy  Rakes 

250 

Heavy  Hoes 

Please  quote  us  your 

lowest  price  on  the  above,  and  also 

tell  us  when  you  could  make  shipment  if  an  order  should  be      | 

placed  with  your^  firm. 

An  early  reply  will  greatly  oblige  us.                   | 

Yours  very  truly. 

M.  M.  Osgood  Company 

by  fC.  S.  Ra{>'WyiQX}-n^ 

Manager 

Note.   When  a  firm  thinks  it  is  not  well  known  to  the  seller,  it  may 
properly  make  reference  to  its  method  of  payment. 


266  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


New  York,  N.Y. 
April  10.  19— 
M.  U.   Osgood  Company 
Pawtucket,  R.I, 

Gentlemen: 

In  reply  to  your  inquiry  of  April  8.  asking  for  quota- 
tion on  shovels  etc.,  we  are  pleased  to  quote  you  the  fol- 
lowing discounts  from  our  price  list: 

Shovels.  50  and  5%  (in  lots  of  500) 
Pickaxes,  50  and  5%  (in  lots  of  500) 
Heavy  Rakes,  60% 
Heavy  Hoes.  50  and  2  1/2% 

These  goods  are' Al  quality,  and  we  know  they  will  give 
you  the  best  of  satisfaction.  As  we  have  a  large  stock  at 
this  time,  we  could  make  immediate  shipment. 

We  hope  that  we  shall  be  favored  with  your  order,  which 
we  assure  you  will  be  given  our  best  attention. 

Yours  very  truly, 

M.  F.  Nye  and  Company 

by  <S^va/yih  jcb'\ny&^ 
Sales  Manager 


Note.    M.  F.  Nye  and  Company  having  mentioned  no  terms,  it  is 
understood  that  the  transaction  is  on  a  cash  basis. 


Pawtucket.  R.I. 
April  13.  19— 

M.  F.  Nye  and  Company 
224  West  32d  Street 
New  York,  N.Y. 

Gentlemen: 

We  hereby  accept  prices  as  quoted  in  your  letter  of 
April  10.  and  would  ask  that  you  enter  our  order  as  listed 
in  our  communication  of  April  8,  shipment  to  be  made  at 
once. 

Yours  very  truly. 

M 

M.  0 

by 

sgood  Company 
Manager 

THE  SELLING  LETTER  267 

EXERCISE  26 

Mrs.  R.  B.  Codman  writes  to  E.  J.  McDougall  &  Brothers  for 
3  pr.  of  Irish  point  curtains,  size  2  yd.  x  30  in.  She  expects  to 
pay  about  $15  a  pair.  As  a  representative  of  E.J.  McDougall 
&  Brothers  write  to  Mrs.  Codman,  telling  her  that  you  have 
forwarded  the  curtains  and  quoting  the  price  as  ;SSi3.8o  a  pair. 

EXERCISE  27 

In  accordance  with  the  inquiry  of  Mrs.  Codman  in  Exei^- 
cise  26,  write  a  letter  in  which  you  say  that  you  have  Irish 
point  curtains  2^1/2  yds.  x  30  in.  at  a  special  marked-down 
figure  of  $13.95.  Explain  that  these  are  your  regular  $1S 
curtains,  and  ask  Mrs.  Codman  to  reply  at  once,  as  you  have 
laid  aside  from  the  sale  3  pr.  of  curtains,  awaiting  her  advice. 

EXERCISE  28 

Prepare  a  circular  letter  for  charge  customers,  notifying 
them  of  an  advance  sale  of  hand-painted  china,  which  will  be 
advertised  more  generally  later. 

EXERCISE  29 
Write  a  circular  letter  informing  your  regular  patrons  that 
during  July  and  August  you  will  do  typewriting  and  duplicating 
at  reduced  rates.    Quote  your  terms. 

EXERCISE  30 
A  customer  is  dissatisfied  with  a  piano  which  he  bought  of 
Vardmann  and  Company.  He  has  partly  paid  for  the  instru- 
ment  on  the  installment  plan  and  now  wishes  to  return  it  and 
get  his  money  back.  Offer  to  take  back  the  piano  and  to  allow 
him  to  credit  the  money  he  has  already  paid  in  as  part  payment 
on  any  instrument  he  may  select  from  your  stock. 


268  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  31 

Write  to  the  John  B.  Anthony  Company,  which  does  a  general 
mail-order  business,  asking  the  firm  to  buy  advertising  space 
in  your  school  paper.  Advance  arguments  which  you  think 
will  show  that  your  proposition  is  likely  to  be  a  paying  one  for 
the  advertiser.    Quote  your  terms. 

EXERCISE  32 

As  representative  of  Jacob  Walker  and  Sons,  dealers  in 
athletic  and  sporting  goods,  prepare  a  circular  letter  to  be  sent 
to  managers  of  school  athletic  teams,  asking  them  for  their 
patronage.  Hold  out  some  special  inducements,  such  as  lO  per 
cent  off  to  members  of  athletic  associations,  or  5  per  cent  off 
on  orders  of  $15  or  more. 

EXERCISE  33 

The  director  of  a  school  festival,  Mrs.  L.  C.  Baker,  wishes 
to  place  with  M.  Wetherill  and  Company,  candy  manufacturers, 
a  considerable  order  for  high-grade  candies,  but  asks  them  to 
quote  a  very  low  price.  She  justifies  her  request  on  the  ground 
that  the  candies  will  receive  a  great  deal  of  free  advertising  at 
the  festival.    Write  what  you  consider  a  suitable  reply. 

EXERCISE  34 

H.  B.  Compton  has  placed  with  your  firm  an  order  for  i  keg 
wire  shingle  nails,  to  be  forwarded  by  express.  A.  J.  Woodward 
has  given  you  an  order  for  50  kegs  wire  shingle  nails,  10  kegs 
tenpenny  nails,  3000  lb.  barbed  fencing  wire,  and  100  lb.  wire 
staples,  to  be  sent  by  freight.  In  each  instance  write  what  you 
consider  a  suitable  reply,  stating  that  the  order  has  been  filled 
and  inclosing  an  invoice. 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  269 

158.  Personal  salesmanship.  In  the  selUng  end  of  business 
there  is  a  constant  demand  for  the  exercise  of  a  person's  utmost 
abilities,  whether  he  is  selHng  by  letter,  by  advertisement,  or  by 
word  of  mouth.  Whole  volumes  have  been  written  on  the  art  of 
oral  salesmanship  and  on  the  necessity  for  correctly  approaching 
a  possible  customer.  Obviously  it  is  desirable  that  a  salesman 
should  be  pleasing  in  his  address.  This  includes  correctness 
of  speech  as  well  as  correctness  of  dress  and  manners.  It  is  of 
the  highest  importance  that  in  describing  anything  that  is  to  be 
sold,  whether  a  bond  or  a  piece  of  calico,  the  salesman  should 
make  a  straightforward,  unequivocal  statement  in  regard  to  it. 
The  use  of  good  English  in  salesmanship,  as  in  every  other 
walk  in  life,  is  an  evidence  of  good  breeding,  which  is  universally 
respected. 

Before  undertaking  the  exercises  which  follow,  the  class 
should  discuss  the  qualities  which  they  believe  are  required  of 
a  good  salesman.  It  should  be  kept  in  mind  also  that  the 
making  of  a  sale  may  be  thought  of  as  made  up  of  three  parts : 
(i)  the  approach,  or  meeting  of  the  customer  ;  (2)  the  presenta- 
tion of  the  article  to  be  sold ;  (3)  the  conclusion  of  the  sale. 


EXERCISE  35 

1.  Describe  a  successful  salesperson  of  whom  you  have 
bought  merchandise.  Mention  some  qualities  which  made 
him  successful. 

2.  Describe  an  unsuccessful  salesperson,  etc.  as  in  i. 

3.  Why  is  it  necessary  to  be  fully  informed  in  regard  to 
whatever  you  are  selling  ? 

4.  Is  it  good  policy  to  force  a  sale  regardless  of  whether  or 
not  you  have  just  the  sort  of  merchandise  which  you  think 
your  customer  requires  ?    Give  reasons  for  your  opinion. 

5.  What  is  meant  by  caveat  emptor}  Is  this  policy  put 
into  general  practice.?  Mention  an  instance  or  two  of  its 
enforcement;  of  its  nonenforcement. 


270  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

6.  Should  the  mood  of  a  customer  make  any  difference  in 
the  attitude  of  the  salesperson  ?  Why  ?  Illustrate  your  answer 
by  an  example. 

7.  Explain  how  a  salesperson  should  deal  with  a  customer 
who  is  seemingly  indifferent  to  making  a  purchase ;  who  is 
slow  to  make  up  his  mind  ;  who  is  nervous ;  who  is  in  a  hurry ; 
who  is  given  to  the  use  of  slang ;  who  doesn't  know  what  he 
wants  ;  who  ''  knows  it  all." 

8.  Mention  three  selling  points  about  each  of  the  following : 

1.  An  automobile.  8.  A  fishing  rod. 

2.  A  well-known  cereal.  9.  A  rug. 

3.  A  necktie.  10.  A  schoolbook. 

4.  A  suit  of  clothes.  11.  A  hockey  stick. 

5.  A  pair  of  shoes.  12.  A  sweater. 

6.  A  cake  of  laundry  soap.  13.  A  camera. 

7.  A  fountain  pen. 

9.  What  part  of  speech  is  used  in  describing  merchandise? 
Make  lists  of  four  for  each  of  the  following  articles : 

1.  A  pair  of  roller  skates.  6.  A  set  of  dishes. 

2.  A  pair  of  ice  skates.  7.  A  bicycle. 

•  3.  A  linen  towel.  8.  A  can  of  salmon. 

4.  A  football.  9.  An  overcoat. 

5.  A  silk  dress.  10.  A  pair  of  eyeglasses. 

10.  What  is  meant  by  ''  overproving  your  case'*  ?    Illustrate. 

11.  What  is  meant  by  "diplomacy"  as  applied  to  making 
a  sale  ? 

12.  What  should  a  salesperson  do  if  a  customer  who  is 
seemingly  anxious  to  buy  hesitates  between  two  articles }  Men- 
tion a  number  of  qualities  of  good  salesmanship  which  come 
into  play  here. 

13.  Give  some  of  the  arguments  which  should  be  made  by 
a  salesperson  to  a  customer  under  the  following  conditions : 


THE  SELLING  LETTER  271 

1.  To  one  who  is  doubtful  with  regard  to  buying  a  bond 
because  he  is  skeptical  about  its  being  a  safe  investment. 

2.  To  a  person  who  hesitates  about  taking  out  a  life-insurance 
policy  because  he  thinks  he  is  likely  to  live  a  long  time  and  can 
invest  his  money  to  better  advantage. 

3.  To  one  who  is  afraid  the  suit  won't  wear  well. 

4.  To  one  who  fears  that  the  dress  will  go  out  of  style. 

14.  What  are  some  of  the  results  to  a  merchant  who  applies 
the  saying  ''  Honesty  is  the  best  policy  "  ? 

15.  Give  examples  of  expressions  which  may  properly  be 
used  when  concluding  a  sale. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  FORM  LETTER 

There  is  no  substitute  for  thinking,  but  there  is  a  great  deal 
of  routine  business  that  can  be  disposed  of  with  Httle  original 
thought  if  it  is  prepared  for  in  advance.  For  example,  a  large 
public-service  corporation  receives  every  month  dozens  of 
small  checks  which  are  for  various  reasons  inaccurate.  The 
mistakes  can  be  classified  thus : 

1.  Check  is  not  signed. 

2.  Check  is  not  indorsed. 

3.  Inclosed  statement  and  check  do  not  correspond. 

4.  Check  is  not  inclosed  with  statement. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  dictate  a  personal  letter  to  one  who  has  made 
an  error  of  the  kind  noted  above.  Therefore  the  corporation  has 
a  printed  form,  which,  with  the  aid  of  a  rubber  stamp,  serves 
to  give  due  notice  with  a  minimum  of  time  and  thought. 

The  form  below  illustrates  the  method  of  procedure : 


EASTERN  TELEPHONE  AND  TELEGRAPH  COMPANY 

Cashier's  Office 
245  STATE  STREET,  NEW  YORK  CITY 

The  check  in  connection  with  your  account  for  telephone  No. 

is  returned  herewith  for  the  reason  indicated  (X). 

Signature  omitted  Not  made  out  to  this  company 

Indorsement  omitted  X  Dated  in  advance 

(Other  reason  indicated  here) 


272 


THE  FORM  LETTER  273 

A  bank  sometimes  finds  at  the  close  of  the  day's  business 
that  certain  of  its  depositors  have  overdrawn  their  accounts. 
To  such  depositors  the  bank  may  send  this  form : 


William  C.  Rowland,  President  N.  S.  Farnham,  Treasurer 

MERRIMAC  TRUST  COMPANY 
Hampton,  Oregon 

Valuables  stored  at  Safe  deposit  vaults 

moderate  rates  Boxes,  $5  and  upwards 


Our  records  at  the  close  of  the  day  show  that  your  account 

appears  to  be  overdrawn  $ 

Please  deposit  a  sum  sufficient  to  cover  this  amount.   If  you 
are  unable  to  make  your  account  agree  with  these  figures,  please 
communicate  with  us  promptly,  as  it  is  important  that  any  dif- 
ference in  records  between  us  be  corrected  at  once. 
Yours  very  truly, 

N.  S.  Farnham,  Treasurer 

Banking  hours,  8  A.M.  to  2  p.m. 

Vaults  open,  8  a.m.  to  2  p.m. 

Hours  on  Saturday,  8  A.M.  to  12  Noon. 


Printed  forms  similar  to  those  shown  above  may  be  used  to 
save  a  vast  amount  of  time.  Sometimes  it  is  best  to  send  a 
typev^ritten  copy  of  a  form  letter,  with  the  name  and  address 
of  its  recipient  filled  in  and  other  changed  and  additions  made, 
to  give  the  communication  a  personal  touch. 

Furthermore,  much  correspondence  relating  to  even  so  vital 
a  matter  as  sales  may  be   effectively  carried  on  by  the  form 


274  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

letter.  For  example,  a  well-known  paint  firm  is  constantly 
receiving  inquiries  about  the  price  of  paints.  Most  of  these 
inquiries  are  adequately  answered  by  a  copy  of  the  following 
form  letter,  filled  in  to  meet  the  particular  inquiry : 


HALLIDAY  PAINT  COMPANY 

Chattanooga,  Tenn, 

19— 


Dear  Sir: 

In  answer  to  your  inquiry  of  ,  we  take  pleasure 

in  quoting  you  the  following  prices  on  paints,  f.o.b. 


We  wish  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  our 
present  prices  are  subject  to  fluctuation,  the  tendency  of 
the  whole  market  being  decidedly  upward.   Since  there  is  no 
present  indication  of  a  fall  in  prices,  we  recommend  that 
you  order  as  soon  as  possible  the  quantities  which  will  be 
likely  to  meet  your  demands  for  some  time. 

Yours  truly. 


159.  Adaptation  of  form  letters.  Some  firms  have  developed 
the  form  letter  to  cover  what  appears  to  be  strictly  personal 
correspondence.  The  department  manager,  or  whoever  is  re- 
sponsible for  answering  the  mail,  indicates,  by  some  form  of 
notation  at  the  top  of  the  correspondent's  letter,  the  particular 
form  letter  that  will  meet  the  situation.  An  intelligent  typist 
can  adapt  this  form  to  meet  the  case.  Collection  departments 
have  worked  out  the  whole  system  with  great  detail,  so  that 


THE  FORM  LETTER 


275 


the  letters  of  a  series  require  almost  nothing  but  the  filling 
in  of  dates  and  addresses. 

160.  Caution.  Form  letters  are  not  an  unmitigated  blessing. 
They  tend  to  put  correspondence  into  a  rut  and  remove  the 
fine  personal  touch.  So  dangerous  is  it  to  reduce  letter-writing 
to  routine  that  some  firms  even  forbid  the  use  of  form  letters  in 
their  correspondence.  But,  as  with  niost  things,  it  is  the  abuse 
and  not  the  use  of  form  letters  that  is  injurious.  In  deciding 
whether  or  not  to  use  such  letters,  one  should  balance  the 
time  saved  against  the  importance  of  the  message.  There  is 
no  doubt  that  the^  personal  letter,  with  its  intimate  touches,  is 
the  more  effective  communication  of  the  two,  but  the  fact 
is  that  in  very  many  instances  the  form  letter  does  meet  all 
the  requirements  of  a  situation.  Where  such  a  situation  is 
multiplied  a  hundred  or  even  a  thousand  times,  the  form  saves 
expense.  Since  the  cost  of  a  business  letter  today  is  never  less 
than  fifteen  cents,  and  is  often  nearer  twenty-five  cents,  such  a 
saving  is  important.  Furthermore,  where  a  firm  has  to  make 
anywhere  from  a  hundred  to  a  thousand  similar  replies  in  a 
limited  time,  the  situation  frequently  compels  them  either  to 
use  a  form  letter  or  to  leave  the  inquiries  unanswered. 

Nevertheless,  the  personal  touch  is  so  valuable  that  means 
have  been  found  to  introduce  it  into  form  letters.  For  example, 
the  letter  on  page  274  may  be  given  an  intimate  tone  by  the 
addition  of  the  following  paragraph.  This  paragraph  is  itself 
a  form  : 

''  We  observe  from  your  letter  that  you  are  making  no  in- 
quiries about  raw  oil,  which  you  have  always  handled  exten- 
sively. We  have  in  stock  a  considerable  quantity  of  the  best 
grade  of  raw  linseed  oil,  and  can  quote  you  this  at  $1.53  per 
gal.,  f.o.b.  As  this  price  will  hold  only  until  July  S,  when 
there  will  be  a  sharp  advance,  we  believe  that  our  quotation 
will  interest  you." 

161.  Use  of  the  form  letter.  The  following  are  some  of  the 
instances  in  which  form  letters  may  be  used : 


276  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

1.  Forms  to  be  filled  out  by  prospective  employees,  by  persons 
asking  for  credit,  by  persons  seeking  insurance,  by  persons  wishing  to 
ship  goods,  by  persons  applying  for  various  kinds  of  permits,  passports, 
or  licenses. 

2.  Form  letters  to  be  sent  as  replies  to  complaints. 

3.  Form  letters  to  be  sent  as  answers  to  requests  for  information. 

Answer  to  an  Inquiry 


THE  COLLEGE  OF  BUSINESS  ADMINISTRATION 
OF  THE  NATIONAL  UNIVERSITY 

WasLington,  D.C. 

September  1,  19— 
Professor  William  A.  White 
Powers  Institute 
Oakland,  Utah 

My  dear  Professor  White: 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  August  29,  in  which  you 
asked  me  to  state  specifically  the  purpose  of  instruction 
in  this  college.   I  may  say  in  brief  that  the  College  of 
Business  Administration  is  intended  to  aid  students  in  pre- 
paring for  executive  positions  in  any  kind  of  business.   Its 
course  will  be  found  particularly  helpful  to  young  men  who 
plan  to  become  managers  of  commercial  or  manufacturing 
establishments. 

To  quote  from  our  catalogue: 

The  course  prepares  directly  for  accountancy,  do- 
mestic and  foreign  commerce,  banking,  insurance,  jour- 
nalism, advertising,  salesmanship,  correspondence  and 
secretarial  positions,  and  transportation.   It  also 
prepares  for  the  teaching  of  commercial  subjects  and 
for  the  national  service,  especially  in  the  Treasury 
Department,  the  Department  of  Commerce,  and  the  Con- 
sular and  Diplomatic  Service. 

I  am  sending  you  copies  of  our  catalogues  and  shall  be 
glad  to  give  you  additional  information. 

Yours  very  truly. 

Dean 
EWJ-EN 


THE  FORM  LETTER  277 

EXERCISE  1 

1.  Prepare  a  form  letter  to  be  filled  out  by  a  student  who 
has  been  absent  from  school. 

2.  Prepare  a  form  letter  to  be  filled  out  by  a  student  who 
wishes  to  be  excused  from  school  for  the  rest  of  the  day. 

EXERCISE  2 

Prepare  a  form  to  be  filled  out  by  you  and  presented  to 
your  teacher  as  a  receipt  for  the  textbooks  lent  to  you  by 
the  school. 

if  EXERCISE  3 

Prepare  form  letters  as  follows  : 

1.  For  those  who  write  asking  for  descriptive  catalogues  of 
the  farm  implements  handled  by  Brown  &  Company,  Box  1176, 
Chicago,  Illinois. 

2.  A  letter  to  be  sent  to  teachers  who  write  asking  that  a 
copy  of  Chadwick's  "  Business  Arithmetic  "  be  sent  them  for 
examination.  Politely  grant  the  request  and  describe  briefly 
what  you  consider  the  strong  features  of  the  book  in  question. 
Quote  the  price  per  copy. 

3.  A  letter  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  an  order  for  goods. 
Say  that  the  order  will  be  filled  promptly,  goods  to  be  sent  by 
parcel  post.    Mention  method  of  payment. 

4.  A  letter  sent  in  response  to  a  complaint  because  of  a  delay 
in  the  receipt  of  goods  ordered.  Give  reason  for  the  delay ;  for 
example,  a  holiday  rush  of  orders,  freight  congestion,  or  delay  in 
manufacture  due  to  breakdown  of  machinery. 

EXERCISE  4 
Make  a  list  of  ten  blank  forms  commonly  used  in  business ; 
as,  receipt,  note,  invoice,  etc. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  LETTER  OF  INTRODUCTION  AND  THE  LETTER  OF 
RECOMMENDATION 

THE  LETTER  OF  INTRODUCTION 

A  Utter  of  introduction  is  a  letter  given  to  a  person  for  the  pur- 
pose  of  making  him  acquainted  with  someone  who  is  personally 
known  to  the  writer.  It  may  take  the  place  of  a  personal  intro- 
duction. It  should  seldom  be  addressed  to  any  person  not 
well  known  to  the  writer. 

162.  Classification.  Letters  of  introduction  may  be  divided 
into  two  classes :  general  and  special. 

Specimen  of  General  Letter 


Lafayette,  La. 

July  10.  19— 
Mr.  Thomas  F.  Allen,  Secretary 

The  Provident  Life  Insurance  Company 
Chicago,  111. 

Dear  Mr.  Allen: 

This  will  introduce  to  you  the  tearer,  Mr.  K.  Cuttenden. 
who  will  he  in  your  city  for  some  time.   Mr.  Cuttenden, 
having  come  originally  from  Illinois,  feels  that  he  would 
like  to  engage  in  business  in  his  own  state  and  is  visiting 
Chicago  for  that  purpose. 

He  is  a  young  man  who  has  made  many  strong  social  and 
business  acquaintances  in  the  South,  and  we  feel  that  his 
going  away  is  a  distinct  loss  to  us. 

I  am  sure  Mr.  Cuttenden  will  appreciate  any  opportu- 
nities that  you  may  give  him  to  become  acquainted  with  the 
business  men  and  business  conditions  of  your  vicinity. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Ra^>-&\t  R.  fObo^nt^ 


278 


THE  LETTER  OF  INTRODUCTION  279 

A generalletter mtrtly  makes  some  statements  that  will  enable 
the  receiver  to  know  who  the  bearer  is.  It  does  not  necessarily 
indorse  his  ability,  character,  or  financial  standing,  but  of  course 
it  is  not  supposed  to  introduce  a  person  whose  acquaintanceship 
is  likely  to  prove  injurious  or  obnoxious. 

EXERCISE  1  -  Oral 

Have  you  any  criticism  to  make  of  the  following  letter? 
Mr.  Gately  has  known  Mr.  Gill  for  only  six  months. 

Readville,  Wisconsin 
(/  November  13,   19 — 

Mr.  James  B.   Cushman 
Boston,  Mass. 

Dear  Mr.  Cushman: 

Mr.  George  Gill,   the  bearer  of  this  letter,   is 
visiting  Boston  to  purchase  a  full  line  of  spring 
and  summer  goods  for  his  men's  furnishings  store. 

Mr.   Gill  is  known  to  me  as  a  man  of  keen  busi- 
ness ability  and  of  unquestioned  standing  in  our 
community.     His  paper  is  freely  accepted  in  the 
local  banks,  and  he  will  incur  no  obligations  that 

he  cannot  easily  meet. 

Yours  truly, 

EXERCISE  2 

Rewrite  the  letter  in  Exercise  i  without  unreservedly 
indorsing  Mr.  Gill's  financial  standing. 

EXERCISE  3 
Mr.  L.  E.  Allen  is  going  to  Ohio  to  introduce  a  new  line 
of  teas  and  coffees.    Write  a  general  letter  that  will  favorably 
introduce  him  to  business  men  in  that  state. 

EXERCISE  4 

Mr.  Henry  H.  Dillingham  has  been  advised  on  account  of 
his  ill  health  to  live  permanently  in  the  Canadian  Northwest. 


280  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Write  a  letter  to  Mr.  Herbert  L.  Reading,  a  former  acquaintance 
of  yours,  now  a  prominent  grain  merchant  in  Winnipeg,  Mani- 
toba. Ask  him  to  assist  Mr.  Dillingham  in  finding  a  position 
where  he  will  not  be  overworked  or  too  much  confined. 

EXERCISE  5 

You  are  just  graduating  from  high  school  and  think  you  would 
like  to  be  connected  with  the  South  American  trade,  as  you  have 
a  good  knowledge  of  Spanish.  Mr.  John  E.  Morrison,  a  re- 
tired business  man  of  your  town,  was  formerly  in  the  Argentine 
lumber  trade  and  lived  for  some  years  in  Buenos  Aires.  He  is 
well  known  to  your  father  and  to  you.  Write  the  kind  of  letter 
you  would  expect  to  receive  from  him,  addressing  it  to  the  firm 
with  which  he  was  previously  connected,  Hancock  &  Harding, 
Lumber  Merchants  (Shippers),  Portland,  Maine. 

EXERCISE  6 

Miss  Elizabeth  Moore  is  leaving  town  to  live  with  her  aunt 
in  Springfield.  Miss  Moore  is  twenty  years  of  age,  a  grammar- 
school  and  high-school  graduate,  and  has  had  two  years'  experi- 
ence as  a  bookkeeper  and  one  year  as  a  stenographer.  Write 
a  letter  to  John  D.  Hartwell,  Esquire,  a  well-known  attorney  of 
Springfield,  asking  him  to  assist  her  in  finding  a  position. 

EXERCISE  7 

Frank  J.  McCoy,  a  young  man  of  twenty-one,  has  worked  all 
his  life  on  his  father's  farm.  He  is  of  more  than  average  ability 
and  intelligence  and  has  a  good  common-school  education.  He 
has  also  a  fair  knowledge  of  scientific  farming  gained  from 
diligent  reading.  Having  decided  to  fit  himself  as  an  expert 
on  fertilizers  and  the  rotation  of  crops,  he  thinks  he  would  find 
opportunity  if  he  could  get  a  position  on  a  state  agricultural 
farm.    Write   a  letter  to   Eliot  R.   Parker,   president  of  the 

Agricultural  College  of  the  state  of ,  asking  him  to  talk 

with  Mr.  McCoy  and  help  him  as  seems  best. 


THE  LETTER  OF  INTRODUCTION  281 

163.  The  special  letter  of  introduction.  A  special  letter  of 
introduction^  sometimes  called  a  letter  of  indorsement,  is  more 
definite  than  a  general  letter  of  introduction.  It  usually  includes 
a  statement  about  the  financial  standing  of  the  person  intro- 
duced, and  requires  care,  for  the  writer  is  in  some  way  guar- 
anteeing future,  often  financial,  transactions  of  the  person 
whom  he  introduces.  Such  a  letter  may  be  mailed  or  given 
to  the  bearer. 

The  following  letters  will  serve  as  examples : 

New  Orleans,  La. 
^  January  8,   19 — 

Mr.  John  McCabe 
Superintendent  of  Merchandise 
Creedon  and  Company 
Morgan  City,  La. 

Dear  Sir: 

The  bearer  of  this  letter,  Mr.  Bernard  J. 
Morse,  is  a  patron  of  our  bank  and  is  personally 
known  to  me  as  a  business  man  of  excellent 
reputation. 

I  am  sure  that  you  will  enjoy  doing  business 
with  him  and  that  he  will  appreciate  an  intro- 
duction to  the  hardware  dealers  of  your  city. 

Yours  truly, 

jCi/nd&Cl  f.  /ifcL'yyu^yyvcyyict 

Wayne,  Pa. 
July  30,  19— 
Supt.  Elmer  S.  Childs 
Transportation  Department 
Central  Division,  B.  &  L.  R.  R. 
Baltimore,  Md. 

Dear  Sir: 

Mr.  Frank  McFarland,  the  bearer  of  this  letter, 
has  been  appointed  by  the  Executive  Department  of 
Wayne  to  investigate  the  urban  and  suburban  pas- 
senger transportation  system  of  Baltimore.  He  will 
lay  his  report  before  the  transit  commission  of 
Walker  County  and  adjoining  counties. 


282  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Knowing  your  wide  acquaintance  among  the  offi- 
cials of  the  electric  and  steam  railways  of  Mary- 
land,   I  am  sure  you  can  greatly  assist  Mr.   McFar- 
land  in  his  work  by  introducing  him  to  men  whom 
you  think  able  to  furnish  him  with  the  kind  of 
information  he  needs. 

I  have  deposited  $5000  in  the  Shawmut  Exchange 
Bank,   subject  to  his  check.     He  will  be  glad  to 
have  you  identify  him  at  the  bank. 

Yours  very  truly. 

Assistant  City  Treasurer 

EXERCISE  %-Oral 

Be  prepared  to  show  how  unity  and  emphasis  apply  particu- 
larly to  the  letter  of  introduction.  As  a  rule,  what  is  the  general 
idea  that  is  to  be  developed  by  a  letter  of  this  kind  ?  What  idea 
is  emphasized  in  the  letter  above .? 

EXERCISE  9 

John  J.  Hayes,  a  young  man  well  known  to  you,  wishes  to  open 
a  laundry  in  your  town.  Write  a  letter  to  Mr.  Monroe  Y.  Mason, 
a  former  friend  of  yours,  who  owns  a  large  laundry  in  the  state 
capital.  Ask  him  to  give  Mr.  Hayes  some  insight  into  the  work- 
ing of  up-to-date  laundry  machinery.  Do  not  indorse  Mr.  Hayes's 
financial  standing,  but  speak  well  of  his  ability  and  character. 

EXERCISE  10 

Mrs.  Maurice  Macaulay  is  to  spend  the  winter  in  Carolsville. 
Mrs.  Macaulay  is  an  organist,  and  having  heard  that  there 
is  a  fine  pipe  organ  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Carolsville,  she  wishes  you  to  ask  the  pastor  of  the  church, 
the  Reverend  R.  J.  MacLeod,  to  allow  her  to  use  the  organ. 
Mr.  MacLeod  is  not  very  well  known  to  you,  but  is  a  graduate 
of  the  same  high  school  as  yourself  and  was  formerly  a  resident 
of  your  town.    Write  the  letter. 


THE  LETTER  OF  INTRODUCTION  283 

EXERCISE  II 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Matthew  J.  Lane  wish  to  see  the  machinery 
of  a  large  gas  plant.  Write  a  letter  to  Superintendent  M.  C. 
Holman,  of  the  Caledonia  Gas  Company,  asking  him  to  permit 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lane  to  visit  his  gas  plant.  Speak  highly  of  the 
plant  of  the  Company. 

EXERCISE  12 

James  P.  Beatty  will  be  in  Sunbury,  S.C,  during  May.  He 
is  an  enthusiastic  golf  player.  Write  a  letter  introducing  him 
to  Mr.  Samuel  S.  'Chase,  secretary  of  the  Sunbury  Golf  Club. 

EXERCISE  13 

Miss  Eva  Milligan,  a  milliner  in  your  town,  wishes  to  engage 
in  business  in  a  large  city.  Write  a  letter  to  a  reliable  real- 
estate  broker,  asking  him  to  assist  her  in  finding  a  suitable 
location. 

EXERCISE  14 

Miss  Marion  Noyes  is  going  to  Chicago  for  a  few  weeks  to 
prepare  a  paper  to  read  before  an  educational  society.  She 
asks  you  to  write  her  a  letter  introducing  her  to  the  librarian 
of  The  University  of  Chicago. 

EXERCISE  15 

Write   a    letter    to    George  A.   Littlefield,   Superintendent 

of  Schools,  Fulton,  in  the  state  of ,  asking  him  to  assist 

Mr.  Edward  Walcott,  a  recent  graduate  of  a  normal  school  in 
your  state,  to  obtain  a  position  as  teacher.  Give  reasons  why 
Mr.  Walcott  wishes  to  go  to  that  particular  state. 

In  writing  the  letter  consider  some  of  the  following  points : 
Your  intimacy  with  Mr.  Litdefield. 
Your  knowledge  of  Mr.  Walcott's  training. 
Mr.  Walcott's  personality. 


284  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

THE  LETTER  OF  RECOMMENDATION 

164.  A  valuable  study.  A  person  just  entering  business  is 
not  likely  to  have  occasion  to  write  a  letter  of  recommendation, 
but  a  study  of  its  forms  comes  naturally  after  the  letter  of 
introduction.  Furthermore,  by  learning  just  what  a  letter  of 
recommendation  ought  to  contain,  a  student  will  be  able  to  tell 
whether  he  has  a  right  to  one  that  is  likely  to  help  him  in 
securing  a  position. 

Nobody  should  ask  you  for  a  letter  of  recommendation,  or 
write  one,  simply  because  of  acquaintanceship.  It  does  not  follow 
because  you  know  a  man  of  influence  that  you  have  a  right  to 
ask  him  for  such  a  letter.  On  the  other  hand,  do  not  place  too 
much  reliance  on  a  letter  written  by  some  unimportant  person 
of  whom  your  prospective  employer  probably  knows  nothing. 
Indeed,  in  this  country,  recommendations  can  be  obtained  too 
easily.  It  has  been  well  said  that  if  men  could  only  live  up 
to  their  recommendations,  there  would  be  few  failures  in  life. 

165.  Classification.  Letters  of  recommendation,  like  letters 
of  introduction,  are  of  two  kinds,  general  and  special. 

166.  Essentials.  The  best  kind  of  written  recommendation 
is  one  sent  by  a  person  who  knows  the  applicant,  in  reply  to 
an  inquiry  from  the  applicant's  prospective  employer.  Such  a 
letter  does  not  pass  through  the  applicant's  hands  and  may 
be  supposed  to  tell  the  whole  truth  about  him,  even  if  all  the 
statements  are  not  in  his  favor. 

But  many  business  men  like  to  have  some  preliminary 
knowledge  of  what  others  think  of  the  applicant ;  therefore 
it  is  customary  to  have  what  is  known  as  the  open  or  general 
letter  of  recommendation,  a  copy  of  which  may  accompany  the 
letter  of  application. 

A  letter  of  recommendation,  to  be  effective,  should  be  definite. 
The  writer  should  speak  of  what  the  applicant  has  actually  done, 
and,  if  possible,  only  of  what  the  writer  knows  personally  about 
him.  Vague  generalities  should  be  avoided.  Compare  the  two 
statements  following : 


THE  LETTER  OF  RECOMMENDATION  285 

1.  Mr.  Ross  is  a  bright,  hard-working  young  man,  if  one 
may  judge  by  four  years'  acquaintance  with  him.  As  railway 
delivery  clerk  for  our  company  he  has  had  to  get  up  every 
morning  at  four  o'clock  and  work  until  eight  thirty,  delivering 
packages  of  papers  at  the  stations  along  the  railway.  He  has 
done  this  to  help  his  mother,  who  is  a  widow,  but  he  has  also 
been  able  to  graduate  creditably  from  the  high  school.  You  may 
be  mterested  in  knowing  that  he  has  saved  $125  and  given  it 
to  me  to  invest  for  him. 

2.  Mr.  Ross  is  a  bright,  energetic  young  man,  who  is  willing 
to  work  hard  and  who  has  naturally  a  saving  disposition. 

The  letter  should  leave  no  doubt  as  to  the  character  of  the  appli- 
cant. An  omission  or  a  dubious  statement  on  this  point  is  almost 
certain  to  prevent  a  favorable  consideration  of  his  application. 

167.  Illustrative  forms.  The  following  are  specimen  letters 
of  recommendation : 

Answering  an  Inquiry  about  an  Applicant 


May  24.  19 — 

Mr.  L.  H.  Morgan,  Superintendent 
The  Winter  Wear  Company 

Morristown,  N.  Dak. 
Dear  Sir: 

It  gives  me  much  pleasure  to  answer  your  inquiry  of 
May  20,  relative  to  Mr.  George  L.  Sears. 

Mr.  Sears  worked  in  our  shipping  department  afternoons 
after  school  for  three  years,  and  during  the  past  year  he 
has  been  in  our  receiving  department. 

I  am  able  to  say  that  you  will  find  him  a  hard  and 
willing  worker,  and  I  may  add  that  in  whatever  he  under- 
takes he  uses  his  brains.   He  has  invented  what  is.  I  think, 
a  unique  but  simple  and  effective  method  of  checking  goods 
in  our  somewhat  complicated  receiving  department.   This 
system  has  saved  us  much  time  and  money. 

The  firm  will  be  sorry  to  lose  him,  but  as  he  wishes  to 
try  a  larger  field  we  are  glad  to  recommend  him  to  you 
unreservedly  as  to  character  and  ability. 
Yours  very  truly. 


286  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

General  Recommendation 


June  8,  19— 
To  Whom  it  may  Concern: 

Mr.  James  L.  Keating  graduated  from  this  school  in  June, 
1911.   His  diploma  indicates  that  he  has  completed  to  our 
satisfaction  the  regular  courses  in  commercial  English,  the 
elements  of  commercial  law,  commercial  arithmetic,  bookkeep- 
ing, stenography,  and  typewriting,  as  outlined  in  our 
catalogue. 

After  graduating,  Mr.  Keating  remained  with  us  a  year 
and  made  a  special  study  of  typewriting  and  stenography.  He 
is  familiar  with  the  mechanism  of  every  standard  machine  and 
can  write  rapidly.  He  understands  thoroughly  the  Pitman  and 
Gregg  systems  of  shorthand.  He  is  not  a  mechanical  note- 
taker,  but  understands  the  science  of  stenography,  and  with 
his  knowledge  of  English  is  an  expert  amanuensis. 

During  his  last  year  with  us  he  acted  as  assistant  in- 
structor in  the  advanced  classes  in  typewriting  and  stenog- 
raphy.  We  have  found  him  diligent,  capable,  and  a  thorough 
gentleman. 

We  cordially  recommend  him  to  anyone  who  is  looking  for 
a  young  man  who  is  willing  and  able  to  prove  hia  worth. 


Respectfully  submitted. 

jvicUyOn  18.  /i-nAAZeAf, 

Principal 


168.  A  personal  matter.  It  may  be  stimulating  to  the  student 
to  consider  the  kind  of  recommendation  that  is  due  him  from 
his  school  or  his  employer.  A  letter  that  can  truthfully  state 
only  the  vaguest  generalities  is  not  likely  to  carry  much  weight. 
Nearly  everyone  has  particular  qualities  worthy  of  special  com- 
mendation. Even  in  a  general  letter  of  recommendation  such 
qualities  should  be  mentioned. 


THE  LETTER  OF  RECOMMENDATION  287 

EXERCISE  16 

Comment  on  the  value  of  the  general  letter  of  recommendation 
given  below.  How  much  does  it  really  say  about  Miss  Manning  ? 
Make  a  list  of  the  facts  commented  on,  and  a  list  of  the  points 
omitted  that  you  might  reasonably  expect  to  be  mentioned. 

It  may  be  worth  your  while  to  consider  whether  you  are 
entitled  to  a  letter  that  is  as  good  as  this  or  better. 

Miss  Sarah  L.  Manning,  the  bearer  of  this 
letter,  has  been  in  our  employment  during  the  past 
six  months  as/ a  stenographer  and  typewriter. 

She  is  a  graduate  of  the  Broadman  Grammar 
School  and  of  the  commercial  department  of  the  Cox 
high  school,  and  brought  us  recommendations  from 
both  institutions.  As  you  no  doubt  know,  Mr.  Cod- 
man,  the  principal  of  the  high  school,  is  very  con- 
servative in  what  he  says  about  his  graduates, 
and  tries  to  see  that  his  recommendations  mean 
something. 

Miss  Manning  is  a  bright  young  woman  of  pleas- 
ing personality  and  excellent  manners.  We  are  glad 
to  be  able  to  give  her  this  recommendation  and  to 
have  her  use  our  name  as  a  reference. 

Harrington  &  Lawson, 

by  ^&cyuf&  S^r   ^^^^^^'^^ . 

A  letter  of  recommendation  should  indicate  clearly  who  the 
writer  is.  If  this  information  does  not  appear  in  the  letterhead 
or  in  the  body  of  the  letter,  it  may  be  placed  after  the  signature. 

John  L'  (Zt{>'£At 

Chairman  of  the  History  Department 

of  Winona  College 


288  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

A  Letter  of  Recommendation  in  Answer  to  an  Inquiry 


SAMPSON,  PAGE,  AND  COMPANY 
BANKERS 

Butte,  Montana,   January  15,  19 — 
Mr.  James  A.  War ton, 
Helena,  Montana. 

Dear  Mr.  War ton: 

It  gives  me  pleasure  to  answer  your  inquiry  of  January  4 
relative  to  the  business  qualifications  of  Earle  R.  Sweet. 

Mr.  Sweet  was  employed  for  three  years  in  our  accounting 
department,  coming  to  us  direct  from  the  Massachusetts 
School  of  Accounting.  He  had  practically  no  business  expe- 
rience when  he  joined  our  staff  and  had  at  first  consider- 
able difficulty  in  meeting  our  requirements  for  accuracy  and 
rapidity.   In  fact,  at  one  time  it  was  necessary  to  appoint 
one  of  our  older  men  to  oversee  his  work. 

However,  he  showed  commendable  persistence  in  making  his 
services  more  valuable.   He  was  always  somewhat  slow,  but 
his  dependability  in  intention  was  always  unquestioned,  and 
in  his  third  year  his  ability  was  such  that  he  directed  our 
bookkeeping  department  during  the  six  months'  absence  of  our 
head  accountant. 

I  am  credibly  informed  that  his  present  employers 
consider  him  an  exceedingly  valuable  man. 

Yours  truly. 


Chief  Accountant 


THE  LETTER  OF  RECOMMENDATION  289 

A  Letter  of  Recommendation 


Thayer,  Williams,  and  Chandler 
queen  cotton  batting 

BRIDGEPORT,  PENNA. 

June  10.    19 — 

Mr.  Ogden  Wheelock  has  been  known  to  me  personally  for 
a  long  time,  and  I  have  had  an  opportunity  to  observe 
closely  his  pei^sonality  and  his  work. 

He  is  a  well-trained  college  man  who  has  used  his  eyes 
and  ears  to  advantage.   His  family  connections  have  given 
him  an  opportunity  to  associate  with  men  and  women  of  Ideas. 
and  he  has  seen  clearly  for  a  long  time  the  vocational  needs 
of  the  Eastern  states,  particularly  those  of  Pennsylvania. 
He  is  democratic,  likable,  and  well  accustomed  to  meeting 
influential  men  in  business  and  political  circles. 

Before  entering  business  he  had  considerable  experience 
as  an  instructor  in  schools  and  colleges,  where  he  showed 
himself  a  natural  disciplinarian  whose  generous,  wholesome 
personality  made  him  naturally  the  confidant  and  adviser  of 
the  students.   I  wish  to  emphasize  this  point. 

He  is  peculiarly  fitted  to  carry  out  instructions,  and, 
in  addition,  he  has  the  originality  and  necessary  confidence 
that  make  him  a  natural  driving  force. 

His  character  is  beyond  question,  his  judgment  is  good, 
and  he  has  the  qualities  necessary  to  make  him  the  suc- 
cessful employment  manager  in  a  high-class  corporation. 

Assistant  Manager 


290  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  17 

Write  the  kind  of  general  letter  of  recommendation  to  which 
you  consider  yourself  entitled.  Divide  the  letter  into  at  least 
three  paragraphs. 

EXERCISE  18 

Write  such  a  letter  as  you  think  one  of  your  teachers  or 
someone  for  whom  you  have  worked  would  write  to  help  you 
to  obtain  the  position  you  select  from  those  named  below : 

1.  General  office  boy  in  a  wholesale  leather  house. 

2.  Assistant  bookkeeper  in  a  retail  grocery  store. 

3.  Delivery  clerk  for  a  creamery. 

4.  Governess  in  a  private  family. 

5.  Secretary  to  a  private  banker. 

6.  Stenographer  in  a  commission  merchant's  office. 

7.  Ticket  agent  in  your  local  railway  station. 

EXERCISE  19 

Write  a  general  letter  of  recommendation  for  Fred  A.  Howard, 
noting  the  following  facts :  the  length  of  time  you  have  known 
x^  him,  the  business  positions  he  has  held  of  which  you  know  person- 
ally, and  his  ability,  diligence,  and  character.  Tell  of  some 
particular  thing  he  has  done  that  would  be  likely  to  commend 
him  to  a  prospective  employer. 

EXERCISE  20 

Write  to  Mr.  Charles  L.  Tufts,  a  personal  acquaintance  of 
yours,  who  is  the  manager  of  a  branch  clothing  store  in  a 
country  town.  He  has  written  to  you,  inquiring  about  Sidney 
Haynes,  a  young  man  who  for  two  years  has  been  a  salesman 
in  your  furniture  department.  Haynes  is  not  brilliant,  but  he 
is  a  willing  worker  and  reliable.  He  is  not  very  well  educated, 
and  his  personality  is  somewhat  rough,  but  when  customers 
know  him  they  like  him.    His  record  as  a  salesman  is  good. 


THE  LETTER  OF  RECOMMENDATION  291 

EXERCISE  21 

After  consulting  pages  139-142  on  outlines,  write  the  fol- 
lowing exercises : 

1.  Make  a  brief  outline  of  a  letter  such  as  a  teacher  or  an  em- 
ployer might  write,  recommending  a  fellow  student  for  one  of 
the  positions  mentioned  in  Exercise  18.  See  that  you  have 
omitted  no  important  facts  and  that  you  have  arranged  them  in 
good  order. 

2.  Write  the  letter  and  be  prepared  to  submit  it  to  a  fellow 
student  for  criticism. 


CHAPTER  XII 

COMPLAINTS  AND  ADJUSTMENTS 

169.  Necessity  for  adjustments.  If  everybody  were  honest, 
if  nobody  were  careless,  if  everybody  paid  his  bills,  and  if 
nobody  lost  his  temper,  business  would  purr  along  like  a 
Liberty  Motor.  But  the  whole  progress  of  mankind  involves  an 
adjustment  to  changing  surroundings,  and  in  this  adjustment 
business  plays  its  part. 

If  in  business  we  learn  to  look  upon  adjustments  as  *'  a  part 
of  the  game,'*  we  are  likely  to  sympathize  with  the  viewpoint 
which  says  '*  every  complaint  is  an  opportunity  to  increase  the 
selling  power  of  the  house." 

170.  Policy.  It  is  necessary  for  a  business  concern  to  have 
a  settled  policy  regarding  adjustments.  Fairness  demands  that 
like  cases  should  receive  like  treatment.  If  one  patron  can  get 
his  money  back  promptly  by  simply  making  a  complaint,  while 
another  has  to  haggle  for  weeks  to  get  even  a  grudging  com- 
promise, the  result  will  be  distrust  and  dissatisfaction. 

The  policies  that  regulate  adjustments  fall  under  four  general 
heads  : 

1.  The  customer  must  be  satisfied. 

2.  The  customer  must  be  treated  fairly. 

3.  The  firm  must  stand  on  its  legal  rights. 

4.  The  firm  must  consider  the  merits  of  each  individual  case. 

171.  Satisfying  the  customer.  Definite  adoption  of  the  policy 
that  the  patron  must  be  satisfied  came  into  prominence  with 
the  growth  of  the  large  department  store.  It  rests  upon  the 
theory  that  a  dissatisfied  customer  is  not  a  dead  loss  but  rather 
a  live  one,  and  is  likely  to  be  of  long  and  increasing  detriment 
to  a  store.     But  to  assume  that  the  ctcstomer  is  always  right 

292 


COMPLAINTS  AND  ADJUSTMENTS  293 

is  an  extreme  idea.  Probably  no  firm  follows  it  absolutely. 
Manufacturers  and  wholesale  dealers  cannot  afford  to  do  so, 
and  in  practice  retail  firms  modify  this  policy  by  a  liberal  inclu- 
sion of  the  second  point  of  view,  that  the  customer  should  be 
treated  fairly. 

172.  Treating  the  customer  fairly.  In  the  end  most  of  us 
approve  of  the  man  who  tries  to  give  a  square  deal,  even  if  we 
do  not  agree  with  his  point  of  view.  A  public-service  corpora- 
tion which  strives  to  treat  the  public  fairly  usually  gains  public 
confidence.  Most  impersonal  corporations,  such  as  gas  and 
electric  companies,  railway  and  express  companies,  and  the  like 
have  in  a  large  nieasure  accepted  this  principle.  Indeed,  most 
corporations  and  other  business  concerns  act  squarely  with  their 
patrons.  No  doubt  this  is  partly  due  to  the  growing  sense  of 
service  and  duty  that  has  shown  such  marked  progress  in  recent 
years,  but  it  is  also  due  to  the  simple  fact  that  it  pays  to  treat 
customers  justly. 

This  policy  is  well  illustrated  by  the  following  incident :  A 
corporation  in  Massachusetts,  manufacturing  electrical  machines, 
received  a  complaint  from  a  man  in  Florida  that  a  large  motor 
had  refused  to  work  almost  immediately  after  installation.  The 
Massachusetts  company  sent  an  expert  to  examine  the  machine. 
He  reported  that  the  motor  had  been  injured  through  gross 
carelessness  on  the  part  of  the  purchaser,  some  of  the  bearings 
being  insufficiently  lubricated.  This  company,  therefore,  not 
only  charged  for  repairing  the  motor  but  collected  also  the 
expenses  incurred  by  the  expert.  In  another  instance,  however, 
the  same  company  found  that  its  own  men  had  failed  to  adjust 
accurately  a  huge  fly-wheel,  and  as  a  result  a  valuable  machine 
was  damaged.  In  this  case  the  electrical  firm  installed  a  new 
machine  and  charged  the  entire  expense  against  itself. 

173.  Legal  rights.  When  a  firm  or  a  business  man  is  deter- 
mined to  make  no  concessions,  but  insists  upon  his  legal  rights  at 
all  times,  patrons  may  be  chary  of  making  contracts.  Of  course, 
legal  rights  are  at  times  the  only  basis  for  a  just  settlement, 


294  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

but  one  might  almost  as  well  hang  up  over  his  store  Dante's 
terrible  legend  ''  All  hope  abandon,  ye  who  enter  here " 
as  to  make  it  known  that  the  only  concessions  he  ever  offers 
are  those  which  the  law  compels  him  to  make.  By  comparing 
''legal  rights"  as  a  ^logan  with  *'the  customer  must  be  satis- 
fied" or  ''the  customer  gets  a  square  deal"  one  can  easily 
understand  the  inadvisability  of  adopting  the  caveat  emptor 
policy  in  business. 

174.  Considering  each  case.  The  policy  which  attempts  to 
settle  each  claim  on  its  merits  without  reference  to  any  definite 
standard  needs  little  comment.  It  is  simply  the  policy  of  no 
policy.  Anyone  acquainted  with  the  volume  of  business  done 
in  the  adjustment  departments  of  large  manufacturing  com- 
panies, railway  corporations,  and  department  stores  will  at  once 
see  that  their  offices  would  be  swamped  with  unadjusted  claims 
unless  they  had  clear-cut  plans  for  meeting  complaints.  Delay 
is  often  the  most  annoying  thing  of  all  to  a  patron  who  already 
feels  aggrieved.  A  correct  policy  "  takes  time  by  the  forelock." 
An  immediate  offer  of  adjustment  leads  quickly  to  the  settlement 
of  many  a  complaint  that  might  grow  to  a  serious  difference. 

175.  Making  complaints.  It  is  well  to  point  out  some  of  the 
principles  governing  the  making  of  complaints. 

A  complaint  is  registered  to  get  redress,  not  to  relieve  one's 
feelings.  In  making  a  complaint  you  should  simply  state  the 
facts.  It  is  usually  wise  not  to  state  the  redress  expected,  but 
to  leave  that  to  the  adjuster.  If  you  have  to  write  again, 
you  should  of  course  be  more  insistent  and  specific  in  your 
demand.  At  all  times  personalities  and  innuendoes  should  be 
avoided.  They  serve  no  purpose  unless  it  be  to  arouse  the 
anger  of  both  parties  and  therefore  to  make  a  settlement 
more  difficult. 

176.  A  few  rules.  Here  are  a  few  points  that  both  complainant 
and  adjuster  should  keep  in  mind. 

I .  Be  courteous.  You  gain  nothing  by  advertising  yourself  as 
deficient  in  good  manners  :  "  A  soft  answer  turneth  away  wrath." 


COMPLAINTS  AND  ADJUSTMENTS  295 

2.  Do  not  lose  your  temper.  If  you  can  think  of  no  better 
reason,  at  least  remember  that  it  does  not  pay :  ''He  that  is 
slow  to  anger  is  better  than  the  mighty."  Some  complainants 
seem  to  delight  in  making  cutting  remarks.  To  the  adjuster 
comments  of  this  nature  must  be  nothing  but  a  part  of  the 
day's  work.  No  doubt  righteous  indignation  is  well  enough  in 
its  place,  but  that  place  is  rarely  the  .adjuster's  chair. 

3.  Do  not  haggle.  When  you  have  a  claim  to  make,  state 
exactly  what  you  want,  especially  if  the  adjuster  is  lacking  in 
decision.  As  an  adjuster,  give  the  customer  at  once  what  he 
demands  if  you  intend  to  do  so  finally.  If  you  delay  and  dis- 
pute and  finally  d(41e  out  grudgingly  his  exact  demand,  he  will 
not  thank  you  but  will  simply  feel  that  he  has  got  the  better  of 
the  bargain  by  his  bulldog  pertinacity. 

A  Letter  of  Complaint 


34  East  8th  St. 
New  York,  N.Y. 
May  14.  19 — 

The  T.  R.  Pearl  Company 
New  York.  N.Y. 

Gentlemen: 

I  received  this  morning,  at  my  home  address,  in  a  dam- 
aged condition,  the  cut-glass  set  purchased  from  you 
May  10.  As  you  will  see  from  your  records,  the  goods  were 
ordered  to  be  delivered  at  10  Harrison  Street.  Hartford. 
Connecticut. 

Immediately  upon  ascertaining  the  damage,  I  telephoned 
the  express  company  and  learned  that  the  box  in  which  the 
goods  were  shipped  was  too  light  to  protect  them. 

This  has  been  a  matter  of  great  annoyance  to  me,  as  the 
set  was  to  be  presented  as  a  wedding  gift  this  morning. 

Please  see  that  another  set  goes  forward  at  once  to  the 
Hartford  address.   I  shall  return  the  damaged  one. 

Yours  truly. 


296  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  1 

Prepare  a  statement  about  an  occasion  in  which  you  were  in 
some  way  dissatisfied  with  your  treatment  in  a  store.  Explain' 
to  the  class  what  adjustment  you  received  or  thought  you  should 
have  received.  If  any  of  your  classmates  are  inclined  to  think 
you  were  unreasonable  in  your  demands,  be  ready  to  defend 
your  viewpoint. 

EXERCISE  2 

Two  old-fashioned  but  shrewd  brothers  run  a  large  country 
store  under  the  name  of  Brown  Brothers  (address).  They  have 
sent  your  general  hardware  store  a  large  order,  but  have  included 
an  order  for  ten  boxes  of  electric  soap,  an  article  anyone  ought 
to  know  you  do  not  handle.  Embody  in  your  reply  to  Brown 
Brothers  one  of  the  following  statements  which  you  consider 
suitable  to  the  case  : 

1.  We  do  not  handle  electric  soap  or  soap  of  any  kind. 

2.  We  have  taken  the  liberty  of  passing  your  order  for  soap 
to  Messrs.  John  Black  &  Co.,  who  will  fill  it  at  once. 

3.  We  do  not  handle  soap  ourselves,  but  have  instructed 
Messrs.  John  Black  &  Co.  to  fill  your  order  on  our  account. 
We  shall  bill  the  soap  at  the  figures  quoted  to  us. 

EXERCISE  3 

P.  B.  Bertram  (address),  well  known  to  you  personally,  has 
written  to  your  firm,  L.  Baldwell  &  Son  (address),  that  as  six 
dozen  pairs  of  women's  shoes  have  not  arrived  and  are  three 
weeks  overdue,  he  wishes  to  cancel  the  order.  You  find  that 
the  shoes  were  shipped  the  day  before  his  letter  arrived.  Reply, 
explaining  that  your  factory  order  on  the  shoes  was  delayed 
and  try  to  get  him  to  accept  the  shipment.  You  find  also  that 
two  weeks  earlier  a  circular  notice  stating  that  your  factory 
orders  were  delayed  was  sent  to  Bertram.  He  did  not  reply 
to  this  circular,  but  allowed  his  order  to  stand.  Would  you 
refer  to  this  fact  in  your  letter  ? 


COMPLAINTS  AND  ADJUSTMENTS  297 

EXERCISE  4 

Write  a  criticism  of  the  letter  that  one  of  your  classmates 
has  written  for  Exercise  3,  above.  Note  especially  the  unity 
of  the  whole  letter  and  the  coherence  of  the  sentences. 

EXERCISE  5 

P.  B.  Bertram,  replying  to  your  letter  written  in  Exercise  3, 
above,  says  that  he  cannot  accept  the  shoes,  since  the  selling 
season  is  past.  You  find  that  he  has  accepted  the  shoes  from 
the  carrier.  You  can  therefore  compel  him  to  pay  for  them. 
He  is  a  large  buyer  and  you  value  his  trade.  Select  from  the 
following  statements  anything  you  wish  to  embody  in  your 
reply : 

1.  We  find  that  you  were  notified  that  the  shipment  would 
be  delayed,  and  as  you  did  not  reply  to  the  notification,  but 
accepted  the  goods,  we  must  request  payment  of  the  account. 

2.  We  do  not  see  how  we  can  be  expected,  under  the  circum- 
stances, to  accept  return  of  the  goods,  but  as  you  claim  to  have 
been  put  to  some  inconvenience  in  the  matter,  we  are  inclosing 
a  new  bill,  allowing  you  5  per  cent  off  the  original  account. 

3.  We  are  pleased  to  inclose  a  new  statement,  allowing  5  per 
cent  on  the  original  terms,  but  as  we  wish  our  customers  to  be 
entirely  satisfied,  you  will,  if  this  arrangement  does  not  meet 
with  your  approval,  please  return  the  goods  by  freight,  collect. 

177.  Inviting  complaints.  The  alert  business  man  does  not 
look  upon  complaints  as  being  impertinent  criticisms  of  his 
business.  Instead,  he  uses  them  to  his  advantage  by  correcting 
any  of  his  methods  which  justify  complaints  and  by  carefully 
considering  and  adjusting  them  so  that  his  patrons  will  be 
better  friends  than  before. 

Of  course  there  are  those  who  find  fault  from  habit ;  noth- 
ing is  ever  just  right.  There  is  always  a  temptation  to  give 
such  persons  a  needed  lesson,  but  to  do  this  is  rarely  if  ever 
the  province  of  the  adjuster. 


298  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Then  there  are  those  who  rarely  or  never  make  complaints. 
If  Jones  doesn't  like  the  last  pair  of  shoes  you  sold  him,  he 
simply  puts  them  in  the  corner  and  buys  another  pair  else- 
where. To  anticipate  such  cases  firms  who  believe  that  ''  com- 
plaints are  an  asset  when  rightly  handled  "  deliberately  invite 
criticism  by  sending  out  letters  asking  their  patrons  to  voice 
any  dissatisfaction  they  may  have.  The  following  circulars 
illustrate  this  kind  of  invitation. 

Dear  


On  19 — ,  we  sold  you  a 


We  guarantee  our  machines  and  believe  them  to  be  a 
finished  product  when  they  leave  our  hands.     At 
times,   however,   they  are  found  not  to  come  up  to 
our  expectations,   and  we  desire  to  know  about  them. 

We  should  be  glad  to  have  you  fill  out  and  re- 
turn to  us  the  inclosed  blank,   which  will  give  us 
details  regarding  your  machine.     Any  further  re- 
marks you  may  care  to  make  please  put  on  the  back 
of  the  blank. 

Yours  very  truly. 

Dear  Sir  : 

We  notice  from  our  records  that  you  have  not 
done  business  with  us  since  last  July.  Naturally 
we  are  wondering  what  the  cause  may  be. 

If  there  is  anything  unsatisfactory  about  that 
last  order,  will  you  not  let  us  know?  We  want  your 
future  business,  of  course,  and  we  can  assure  you 
that  our  firm  would  be  very  unwilling  to  permit  a 
past  transaction  to  remain  unsatisfactory  to  you. 

Yours  very  truly. 
White  &  Co. 

By  /?.  L.  S^exml 

EXERCISE  6 

Write  to  an  acquaintance,  inquiring  why  you  have  received 
no  answer  to  your  recent  letters. 


COMPLAINTS  AND  ADJUSTMENTS  299 

EXERCISE  7 

John  and  Mary  Field,  classmates  of  yours,  came  to  your 
summer  place  to  spend  a  week  or  two.  At  the  end  of  three 
days  they  suddenly  left,  saying  they  were  needed  at  home  im- 
mediately. You  are  inclined  to  think  that  unintentionally  you 
or  some  member  of  your  family  hurt  your  guests'  feelings. 
What  would  you  do  in  such  an  instance :  let  the  matter  alone, 
trusting  to  time  to  adjust  the  difficulty  if  there  is  one  ?  write 
a  letter  inquiring  into  the  matter  further  ?  or  write  a  letter  in 
which  you  assume  that  no  difficulty  has  arisen  ?  Write  one  of 
the  letters  sugges|:ed  above. 

178.  Anticipating  complaints.  When  Becky  Sharp  foresaw 
that  she  should  be  criticized  by  the  aristocratic  ladies  with  whom 
she  was  determined  to  associate,  she  anticipated  their  attacks. 
She  explained  her  lack  of  training  to  Lady  Steyne,  who,  being 
completely  disarmed  by  such  confidence,  at  once  took  Becky's 
part  and  became  her  defender. 

Often  one  can  weaken  an  attack  by  anticipating  it.  A  firm 
that  finds  itself  behind  in  filling  its  orders,  a  company  whose 
employees  are  out  on  a  strike,  will  save  itself  and  its  patrons 
much  irritation  by  explaining  frankly  just  what  the  situation 
is.    The  following  is  an  example  of  such  a  letter  : 

Owing  to  the  extraordinary  shortage  of  print 
paper  and  the  condition  of  the  labor  market,  we 
find  it  impossible  to  complete  for  the  beginning  of 
the  school  year  the  revised  edition  of  Parkinson's 
"Universal  History,"  now  in  press. 

We  have  on  hand,  however,   a  limited  number  of 
copies  of  the  earlier  edition,   from  which  we  should 
be  glad  to  fill  your  order  temporarily.     As  soon  as 
the  revised  edition  appears,  we  'shall  be  ready  to 
send  you  a  sufficient  number  of  copies  to  take  the 
place  of  the  older  edition. 

We  can  make  the  exchange  about  November  1,  and 
hope  that  the  proposed  arrangement  will  meet  with 
your  approval. 


300  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

179.  The  personal  element.  A  form  of  business  letter  which 
is  one  of  the  most  common  and  most  effective  is  what  may  be 
termed  the  ''friendly  letter."  Such  a  letter  is  written  by  one 
person  to  another  when  there  exists  an  acquaintanceship  result- 
ing from  personal  contact  or  from  business  relations  through 
correspondence.  In  these  cases,  where  confidence  is  estab- 
lished, the  writer  is  enabled  to  give  a  personal  tone  to  his 
letter,  and  the  receiver  is  more  likely  to  be  influenced  than 
he  would  be  if  the  letter  had  been  written  by  an  unknown 
person. 

Whenever  the  character  of  the  business  permits,  even  the 
largest  firms  and  corporations  strive  to  maintain  such  relations 
with  their  customers  that  to  the  respect  engendered  by  honor- 
able dealings  this  personal  element  may  be  added.  This  is 
accomplished  partly  by  agents  who  travel  from  place  to  place, 
making  the  personal  acquaintance  of  customers,  and  partly 
by  the  visits  of  buyers  to  the  home  place  of  business  or  to 
its  agencies. 

Frequently  a  buyer  will  send  his  order  or  letter  to  that  mem- 
ber or  representative  of  the  firm  with  whom  he  is  acquainted. 
A  reply  from  such  an  acquaintance  is  likely  to  have  a  personal 
touch,  and  the  letter  is  almost  certain  to  be  much  more  effective 
than  one  from  an  unknown  writer. 

When  the  personal  equation  enters  into  business  correspond- 
ence, the  letters  will  naturally  show  great  diversity.  Such 
letters  will  vary  with  the  personality  of  those  by  whom  and  to 
whom  they  are  written  and  with  the  degree  of  acquaintance 
between  the  writers. 

The  personal  relation  is  likely  to  be  of  great  importance  in 
making  adjustments.  Either  in  making  a  complaint  or  in  ad- 
justing one  the  fact  that  you  know  personally  the  one  to  whom 
you  are  writing  places  you  immediately  in  a  position  where  you 
are  at  least  sure  to  have  careful  consideration.  Furthermore, 
you  ought  to  be  able  to  get  your  reader's  viewpoint  better  than 
you  would  if  you  did  not  know  him. 


COMPLAINTS  AND  ADJUSTMENTS  301 

It  is  obviously  possible  to  give  only  the  most  general  direc- 
tions regarding  the  writing  of  the  business  letter  which  contains 
the  personal  and  friendly  touch. 

The  writer  should  remember  that 

1.  He  is  under  obligation  to  sustain  and,  if  possible,  to  in- 
crease the  confidence  of  the  one  to  whom  he  writes. 

2.  The  buyer  or  prospective  buyer  is  under  no  obligation  to 
place  an  order  with  the  writer  unless  the  offer  made  is  as 
good  as  or  better  than  that  of  someone  else. 

3.  Sincerity  and  frankness  should  be  apparent. 

4.  No  personal  touch  should  obscure  the  business  aim  of 
the  letter.  "  Business  before  personality  "  may  be  suggested  as 
a  precept. 

5.  An  adjuster  represents  his  firm,  not  himself;  he  should 
not  satisfy  an  unreasonable  complainant  simply  on  the  ground  of 
personal  friendship,  nor  should  he  on  the  same  ground  expect 
to  avoid  satisfying  a  reasonable  complaint. 

6.  He  should  not  assume  an  unwarranted  tone  of  intimacy. 

7.  This  letter  calls  for  more  care  and  acumen  on  the 
part  of  the  writer  than  almost  any  other  kind  of  business 
correspondence. 

180.  Illustrative  forms.  The  following  letters  illustrate  the 
forms  a  friendly  adjustment  letter  may  take : 

San  Diego,   Calif. 

Dec.  28,   19— 

Mr.  C.  S.  Selden 
c/o  Michigan  Furniture  Company 
Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 

My  dear  Selden: 

Usually  the  furniture  which  I  buy  of  your  house 
comes  in  good  order,  but  the  last  lot,  your  invoice 
No.  8993,  was  in  bad  shape.   Chiffonier  No.  3831 
was  scratched  and  the  mirror  broken.  A  leg  on  one 
of  the  chairs  was  cracked  and  the  leather  on  couch  ' 
No.  617  was  scratched,  while  the  finish  on  the 
whole  lot  was  not  up  to  the  standard.  A  part  of 


302  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

this  furniture  I  had  sold  to  one  of  my  best  custom- 
ers on  the  coast  from  the  description  given  in  your 
catalogue,  and  he  is  impatiently  av/aiting  its  ar- 
rival. You  can  therefore  imagine  that  I  am  in  a 
most  unhappy  frame  of  mind.  Perhaps  the  rail- 
road company  is  responsible  for  the  breaks  and 
scratches,  but  it  looks  to  me  as  if  your  packers 
were  at  fault.  The  poor  finish  is  clearly  up 
to  you. 

I  am  writing  to  you  personally,  for  I  know  that 
you  will  give  this  matter  your  immediate  attention. 
Wire  at  once,  letting  me  know  what  you  are  going  to 
do  to  help  me  out. 

Yours  truly. 

Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 
January  1 ,  19 — 
Mr.  Henry  Powers 
San  Diego,  Calif. 

My  dear  Powers: 

Your  letter  of  December  twenty-eight  was  re- 
ceived this  morning.  You  have  just  cause  for  com- 
plaint, and  I  should  not  have  blamed  you  if  you  had 
shipped  back  all  of  your  last  invoice  and  canceled 
the  order.  Let  me  thank  you,  however,  for  the  op- 
portunity to  give  this  matter  my  personal  attention. 

In  accordance  with  my  telegram  of  this  morning, 
we  are  sending  by  fast  freight  a  duplicate  of  your 
last  order,  transportation  charges  prepaid.  Please 
send  us  by  slow  freight  the  lot  about  which  you  com- 
plain, freight  charges  to  be  paid  by  us.  We  will 
credit  on  your  bill  the  charges  which  you  have 
already  paid. 

I  have  asked  a  trustworthy  foreman  to  examine 
every  piece  of  furniture  which  we  are  now  sending 
to  you  and  to  supervise  its  packing. 

It  is  a  source  of  much  chagrin  to  this  house 
and  to  me  personally  that  you  should  have  received 
a  shipment  from  us  in  the  condition  you  describe. 


COMPLAINTS  AND  ADJUSTMENTS  303 

I  think  you  are  sufficiently  well  acquainted  with 
us  to  know  that  an  occurrence  of  this  sort  is  un- 
usual.  Indeed,  nothing  like  it  has  come  to  my  at- 
tention during  my  twenty  years'  connection  with 
this  house. 

I  expect  to  visit  the  coast  in  March  and  hope 
at  that  time  to  accept  the  cordial  invitation  to 
enjoy  your  hospitality  which  you  extended  some 
time  ago. 

Cordially  yours. 


EXERCISE  8 

John  L.  Cushman  (address)  has  written  to  your  firm,  inquir- 
ing about  one  of  the  articles  mentioned  below.  He  says  that 
he  wants  something  ''  reasonable  in  price,  and  good." 

1.  Prepare  two  letters  in  answer  to  Mr.  Cushman's  inquiry. 
In  one  of  your  letters  assume  that  you  do  not  know  him,  and  in 
the  other  assume  that  you  know  him  personally  and  have  sold 
him  goods. 

1.  A  vacuum  cleaner. 

2.  A  basket  ball. 

3.  A  suitcase. 

4.  A  Colt  revolver. 

5.  A  thermos  bottle. 

2.  Mr.  Cushman  replies  to  your  letter,  saying  that  he 
thinks  you  have  not  taken  sufficient  pains  to  give  him  a  defi- 
nite answer  to  his  original  inquiry.  Read  over  your  letter  to 
Mr.  Cushman  and  make  a  suitable  reply  to  his  complaint.  Even 
if  you  consider  that  your  first  letter  was  adequate,  it  may  be 
unwise  to  say  so. 

EXERCISE  9 
Write  the  letters  required  in  any  two  of  the  following  groups. 
Make  a  suitable  letterhead  for  each  letter. 


304  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

1.  (a)  Write  a  letter  to  Edward  Collins,  publisher,  New  York 
City,  complaining  that  in  a  shipment  of  books  which  you  have 
just  received  there  are  three  defective  copies. 

(b)  Write  the  reply  dictated  by  Edward  Collins,  who  recog- 
nizes your  name  as  that  of  a  valued  customer. 

2.  {a)  Write  to  Richard  Silver,  a  salesman  with  whom  you 
are  well  acquainted  and  who  is  a  representative  of  the  firm  of 
James  MacDonald  &  Stafford,  importers  and  wholesale  dealers 
in  china,  glassware,  and  crockery,  saying  that  one  of  your  best 
customers  wishes  to  return  for  credit  a  moderate-priced  dinner 
set  which  you  recently  ordered  from  Mr.  Silver  and  which  you 
had  sent  direct,  to  save  time.  The  customer  is  dissatisfied  with 
the  pattern  and  would  prefer  an  English  to  a  French  china. 
Ask  Mr.  Silver  if  his  firm  will  take  back  the  dinner  set  and  give 
full  credit  therefor. 

(b)  Write  Mr.  Silver's  reply  in  which  he  grants  your  request 
but  urges  you  to  try  to  sell  your  customer  another  set.  He 
offers  to  send  samples  and  prices. 

3.  (a)  John  Dexter  of  Richardson,  Scannell  &  Dexter,  com- 
mission merchants,  21  Forty-third  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  writes 
to  Henry  A.  Johnson,  Waco,  Texas,  offering  to  take  on  con- 
signment for  sale,  subject  to  a  commission,  five  carloads  of 
onions  like  sample  just  received,  shipment  to  be  made  within 
thirty  days.  Dexter  used  to  travel  in  Texas  as  a  buyer  for  the 
firm  of  which  he  is  now  a  member. 

(p)  Mr.  Johnson,  who  is  well  acquainted  with  Dexter,  writes, 
saying  that  he  is  unwilling  to  send  any  more  onions  to  Scan- 
nell &  Dexter  because  he  feels  that  his  last  lot  was  sold  for  less 
than  the  top  market  price. 

(c)  Mr.  Dexter  replies,  explaining  that  at  the  time  the  first 
shipment  was  received  and  sold,  onions  were  a  glut  on  the 
market.  A  week  later,  because  of  an  unexpected  and  temporary 
shortage,  a  slightly  higher  price  was  realized.  Mr.  Dexter  thinks 
this  statement  will  satisfy  Mr.  Johnson  and  expresses  the  hope 
that  his  original  offer  will  be  accepted.  He  adds  that  there  is 
every  prospect  that  onions  will  bring  a  good  price  during  the 
next  few  weeks. 

4.  (a)  S.  P.  Jones,  of  Peterson  and  Jones,  retail  grocers, 
Acme,  Pa.,  writes  to  a  friend,  Ernest  G.  Cobden,  Randolph,  Vt, 


COMPLAINTS  AND  ADJUSTMENTS  305 

who  has  a  large  sugar  orchard,  ordering  50  ten-pound  pails 
of  maple  sugar  and  250  gallons  of  maple  sirup,  delivery  to  be 
made  as  early  as  possible.  The  hope  is  expressed  that  this  year's 
prices  will  be  somewhat  lower  than  those  of  the  previous  year. 
{b)  Cobden  agrees  to  fill  the  order,  predicts  a  good  season, 
but  says  that  prices  will  be  about  the  same  as  those  of  last  year. 

5.  (a)  You  have  received  from  Nelson  Smith  and  Company, 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  a  shipment  of  crockery  in  which  several 
pieces  are  broken.  Write  to  the  salesman  with  whom  you  have 
been  accustomed  to  deal  and  to  whom  you  gave  this  last  order. 
On  the  occasion  of  a  recent  visit  which  you  made  to  Philadelphia, 
this  salesman  showed  you  every  courtesy. 

(J?)  Write  the  salesman's  reply. 

6.  (a)  John  D.  McHenry,  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  Mem- 
phis, Tenn.,  writes  to  Parker,  Jones,  &  Co.,  publishers.  New 
York  City,  saying  that  ten  of  the  geographies  which  he  received 
in  a  recent  shipment  were  defective. 

(b)  Mr.  Parker,  who  knows  Superintendent  McHenry,  writes, 
saying  that  ten  new  books  are  being  sent  by  express,  charges 
prepaid,  and  asks  that  the  defective  copies  be  returned  at  the 
expense  of  the  publishers.  When  the  defective  copies  are  re- 
turned, a  memorandum  of  credit  in  full  will  be  mailed  by  the 
publishers. 

7.  {a)  Robert  J.  Poland,  West  Fairlee,  Wis.,  writes  to  the 
Mendell  Power  and  Pump  Company,  Chicago,  from  whom  he 
has  just  received  an  engine,  complaining  that  a  part  of  the 
cylinder  head  is  missing.  This  is  a  serious  matter,  for  he  needs 
to  use  the  engine. 

(b)  Write  a  suitable  reply. 

EXERCISE  10  —  Oral  {Review) 

Be  able  to  answer  the  following  questions : 

1.  Why  has  the  letter  on  page  302  five  paragraphs? 

2.  Why  is  the  first  sentence  a  suitable  statement  to  be  placed 
at  the  beginning  of  the  letter  on  page  301  .? 

3.  Is  there  a  topic  sentence  in  the  letter  on  page  288  ? 

4.  Is  the  statement  in  the  last  sentence  in  the  letter  on 
page  288  particularly  suitable  as  an  ending? 


306  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  11  -  Oral  {Review) 

Examine  the  letters  that  some  other  member  of  your  class 
has  written  for  Exercise  9.    Discuss 

1.  Choice  of  ideas  (unity). 

2.  Arrangement  of  sentences  (coherence). 

3.  Accuracy  of  statements. 

4.  Conciseness. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

CREDITS 

181.  Credits.  In  large  firms  there  is  a  special  department 
called  the  credit  department.  Its  business  is  to  ascertain  the 
financial  standing  pi  patrons  of  the  company.  The  credit  man- 
ager, or  credit  man,  as  he  is  usually  called,  occupies  an  ex- 
tremely important  position.  He  must  not  destroy  business  but 
help  to  increase  it,  for,  in  a  broad  way,  his  work  is  really  in 
cooperation  with  the  sales  department. 

The  credit  manager  must  guard  the  interests  of  the  firm, 
but  he  must  also  see  that  no  patron  lacks  credit  who  is  worthy 
of  receiving  it. 

182.  Credit  investigation.  The  means  of  investigating  the 
financial  standing  of  an  individual  or  a  firm  has  reached  a  high 
degree  of  efficiency.  Such  mercantile  agencies  as  R.  G.  Dun 
and  Company  and  The  Bradstreet  Company  keep  on  file  in- 
formation about  every  individual  and  firm  of  financial  impor- 
tance in  the  country.  In  addition,  banks,  chambers  of  commerce, 
clearing  houses,  and  collection  agencies  gather  a  large  amount 
of  local  material  of  a  similar  kind. 

The  common  and  widespread  use  of  credit  information  in 
addition  to  the  information  required  today  in  connection  with 
state  and  federal  income  taxes  has  habituated  most  of  us  to 
rigid  inquiries  about  our  financial  standing.  At  the  same  time 
there  are  still  some  who  feel  sensitive  about  giving  definite 
facts  concerning  their  liabilities  and  assets.  This  sensitiveness 
increases  the  difficulties  of  the  credit  man,  who  is  bound  to 
find  out  the  truth,  but  who  is  anxious  not  to  lose  a  customer 
by  appearing  unduly  cautious  or  inquisitive. 

307 


308  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

On  the  whole,  mature  judgment  and  long  experience  are 
requisite  parts  of  the  qualifications  of  a  credit  manager.  The 
inexperienced  student  cannot  undertake  the  more  difficult 
problems  which  daily  face  the  credit  department,  but  from  the 
following  exercises  he  will  get  some  insight  into  the  work,  and 
will  learn  some  of  the  methods  of  approaching  the  problems 
of  a  credit  manager. 

EXERCISE  I -Oral 

Be  prepared  to  show  how  the  information  given  below  may 
bear  on  a  person's  financial  standing.  Is  there  any  question 
that  you  consider  unnecessary.?  Can  you  suggest  six  more 
questions  1 

1.  Name.  John  i?.  Fischer, 

2.  Age.    Thirty-eight. 

.  , ,  r  Residence,  4^  Broad  Street,  Atlanta,  Ga, 

^Business,  20  Smith  Ave.,  Atlanta,  Ga, 

4.  Married.    Yes. 

5.  Number  of  children.    Two. 

6.  Occupation.    Grocer. 

7.  Length  of  time  in  present  situation.    Three  years. 

8.  Annual  income.    $6joo  net. 

9.  Annual  expenses.    $5500. 

10.  Value  real  estate.    $18,000. 

11.  Mortgages,  notes,  etc.    $8000  mortgage. 

12.  Value  stocks,  bonds,  etc.    None. 

13.  Cash  in  bank.   $800. 

14.  Honesty.    Above  question. 

15.  Business  judgment.    Good. 

16.  Remarks.    Health  is  not  very  good ;  father-ifi-law,  John  D, 
Ryan,  wealthy,  is  backing  him. 

EXERCISE  2 

A  classmate  of  yours  wishes  to  borrow  fifty  dollars  from 
your  father  to  purchase  a  paper  route.  Your  father  has  asked 
your  opinion  about  the  matter.  Write  a  letter  or  statement  on 
which  your  father  may  base  his  decision. 


CREDITS 


EXERCISE  3 


309 


John  C.  Snow  wishes  to  build  a  barn  and  has  written  to  the 
L.  C.  Wood  Company,  asking  them  to  supply  lumber  valued 
at  about  four  thousand  dollars.  He  offers  to  pay  one  thou- 
sand dollars  cash  and  the  balance  after  the  harvesting  of  his 
tobacco  crop. 

Write  a  reply  to  Mr.  Snow.    At  the  bottom  of  your  letter 

place  a  statement  of  the  (supposed)  facts  upon  which  you  based 

your  letter. 

EXERCISE  4 

A  classmate  whom  you  know  well  is  away  on  a  summer  vacation 
and  has  written  to  you,  asking  for  the  loan  of  twenty  dollars. 

1.  Write  a  letter  granting  the  request. 

2.  Write  a  letter  refusing  the  request. 

EXERCISE  5 

You  are  accustomed  to  renting  your  summer  cottage  during 
July  and  August  for  $150  a  month.  You  require  payment  in 
advance  on  the  first  of  each  month. 

Mrs.  Charles  B.  Swanson  has  written  to  you,  asking  that  you 
rent  her  the  cottage,  the  $300  to  be  paid  on  August  i. 

Write  her  a  reply  and  at  the  bottom  of  your  letter  place  a  state- 
ment of  the  (supposed)  facts  on  which  you  based  your  letter. 

EXERCISE  6 

1.  Write  a  letter  to  Smith,  Gordon  81  Co.,  Scranton,  Pa., 
asking  for  information  concerning  the  financial  standing  of 
John  A.  Gardner,  who  wishes  to  buy  on  credit  merchandise  to 
the  value  of  ^850.    Make  your  letter  definite. 

2.  On  the  supposition  that  you  have  received  favorable 
information  in  regard  to  John  A.  Gardner  write  a  letter 
granting  him  the  credit  he  asks. 

3.  On  the  supposition  that  you  have  received  unfavorable 
information  in  regard  to  John  A.  Gardner  write  a  letter  refus- 
ing him  credit. 


3IO  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  7 

Adam  C.  Stewart,  a  retail  grocer,  who  has  not  bought  previ- 
ously of  your  firm,  has  asked  by  long-distance  telephone  for 
you  to  have  ready  groceries  to  the  value  of  $1000.  He  says 
his  automobile  truck  will  call  for  the  goods,  which  he  wishes 
on  thirty  days'  credit.  Stewart  does  a  big  business  and  is  a 
generous  buyer,  but  his  business  is  none  too  sound,  and  you 
are  unwilling  to  give  him  credit.  At  the  same  time  you  would 
like  his  trade  on  a  cash  basis. 

Suggest  how  you  would  handle  the  matter  (i)  by  telephone ; 
(2)  by  letter. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

COLLECTIONS 

CLASSIFICATION 

183.  For  the  purpose  of  the  collection  department  of  a  busi- 
ness, buyers  may  be  divided  into  two  classes:  (i)  those  who 
make  payment  at  the  time  required  ;  (2)  those  who  do  not  make 
payment  at  the  time  required.  All  customers  may  at  first  be 
placed  in  class  one. 

Customers  making  payment  promptly  require  little  more  than 
routine  attention  so  far  as  the  collection  of  accounts  is  concerned. 
There  are  various  methods  by  which  the  buyer  can  be  informed 
that  his  account  is  due ;  for  example,  the  bill  and  the  monthly 
statement. 

184.  The  bill.  The  first  notice  of  indebtedness  which  a 
buyer  receives  is  usually  a  bill,  or  invoice.  This  is  an  itemized 
statement  of  goods  purchased,  services  rendered,  or  expenses 
made  on  account.  When  the  bill  represents  the  purchase  of 
goods,  it  should  be  sent  at  the  tiihe  the  goods  are  shipped, 
in  order  that  the  buyer  may  compare  the  items  in  the  bill  with 
the  goods  received  and  give  immediate  notice  of  any  error. 
A  bill  sent  out  by  a  professional  man,  such  as  a  doctor,  may 
read  simply  ''  For  services  rendered."  The  fundamental  pur- 
pose is,  of  course,  to  collect  the  amount  due  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. This  is  to  be  done  with  a  minimum  of  discussion 
or  argument.  The  student  will  observe  that  in  the  form 
given  on  the  next  page  there  is  not  only  an  itemized  statement 
of  the  goods  sold  but  also  a  note  which  is  designed  to  relieve 
the  purchaser  from  the  embarrassment  of  feeling  that  the  bill 
is  in  any  sense  a  dun. 

3" 


312  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


Crockery,  Cnma,  Glassware 
33  Summer  Street 

Boston,  Mass. 

November  7,  19^— 
Mr.  Henry  L.  Hardy 

903  Lake  Ave.,  Newton  Highlands.  Mass. 

Bought  of 

JAMES  MCDOUGALD  y  STRAFFORD  CO. 


Corey  Hill  Pattern 

1  doz.  Plates $3.65 

1  doz.  Plates 2.50 

1  doz.  Coffee  Cups  &  Saucers    .    .    .  4.00 

1  doz.  Oatmeals 2.70 

1  Scallop 1.20 

1  Platter   .    .  ' 1.50 

1  Sugar 1.25 

1  Cream .65 

1  Bowl .35 

1  Open  Vegetable  Dish 1.30 

1  doz.  Plates 3.15 

1  China  Cracker  &  Cheese  Tray   .    .    .  2.00 

Net $24.25 

Note.  The  sending  of  this  bill  is  not  to  be  considered  as  a  request  for  payment  at 
this  time,  but  is  to  enable  the  purchaser  to  correct  promptly  any  possible  error. 

Statements  of  accounts  are  mailed  the  first  of  each  month  and  contain  only  dates  and 
amounts  conforming  to  the  bills  sent  currently. 


185.  The  delinquent  debtor.  If  a  buyer  does  not  make  pay- 
ment when  his  account  is  due,  he  is,  from  the  point  of  view 
of  the  collection  department,  a  dehnquent  debtor.  Many  firms 
have  a  routine  by  which  he  may  be  brought  to  book. 

186.  The  second  notice.  As  a  second  step  a  notice  is  sent 
on  which  is  printed  some  statement  such  as  "  bill  rendered,*' 
to  show  that  the  account  is  overdue  and  should  be  paid ;  but 
it  is  usually  injudicious  to  give  the  debtor  an  impression  that 
he  has  been  singled  out  as  a  special  case. 


COLLECTIONS  3x3 

187.  The  third  notice.  The  debtor  who  does  not  pay  on  the 
second  request  usually  requires  special  attention.  A  particular 
knowledge  of  his  case  is  desirable.  He  may  be  solvent  but 
simply  careless,  or  he  may  be  willing  but  unable  to  pay. 

The  wording  of  the  third  notice  depends  on  the  attitude  of 
the  business  house  regarding  collections  in  general  or  on  its 
attitude  toward  particular  debtors.  Some  firms  send  a  third 
notice  as  a  part  of  the  regular  routine,  in  which  all  debtors  are 
treated  alike;  other  firms  require  that  the  third  notice  shall 
assume  the  form  determined  by  the  head  of  the  collection  de- 
partment. He  usually  has  ready  several  kinds  of  printed  forms, 
varying  in  emphasis,  which  he  orders  sent  out  as  his  judgment 
determines.  Generally  it  is  best  not  to  make  the  third  notice 
personal,  but  to  have  it  printed,  to  avoid  the  appearance  of 
sending  a  dun. 

The  following  will  give  some  idea  of  the  regular  forms  : 

I .  Print  on  the  statement  some  such  notice  as  the  following  : 
"  We  request  an  early  settlement  of  the  above  account." 


Name ^ S  i  lo  28987.  3-6 

Ace.  No PERKINS'S,  Chicago  Amount 

Wm.  PERKINS  S  sons  COMPANY 

Ace.  No CHICAGO 

Sold  to__ 


ACCOUNT  RENDERED 


We  beg  to  call  your  attention  to  the  inclosed  account,  which  is  now  overdue. 
We  ask  you,  there/ore,  kifidly  to  favor  us  with  a  Prompt  Remittance. 

WM.  PERKINS'S  SONS  COMPANY 


314  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

2.  Inclose  a  card  similar  to  the  following: 


WE  BEG  TO  CALL  YOUR  ATTENTION  TO  THE  INCLOSED 
ACCOUNT,  WHICH  IS  NOW  OVERDUE.  WE  ASK  YOU,  THERE- 
FORE, KINDLY  TO  FAVOR  US  WITH  A  PROMPT  REMITTANCE. 

WM.  PERKINS'S  SONS  COMPANY 


188.  Special  notice,  or  dun.  When  the  third  statement  has 
failed  to  arouse  the  debtor,  his  case  requires  immediate  and 
special  attention.  No  hard-and-fast  rule  can  be  given  for 
approaching  him  effectively.  A  customer  whose  trade  is,  in 
spite  of  slow  payment,  profitable  to  the  seller  cannot  be  dealt 
with  as  summarily  as  a  customer  whose  business  is  no  longer 
desired. 

The  following  letter  was  written  to  a  slow-paying  customer. 
His  financial  standing  was  uncertain,  but  he  was  such  a  large 
buyer  that  his  creditor  wished  to  keep  his  trade. 

Fort  Worth,   Texas 
September  3,   19 — 
Mr.  H.   P.  Button 
Wichita  Falls,   Texas 

Dear  Sir: 

We  inclose  a  statement  of  your  July  account  and 
beg  leave  to  call  to  your  attention  that  it  is  now 
overdue  three  months.  As  you  know,  we  made  the 
price  on  the  shipment  on  a  cash-payment  basis,  and 
since  we  have  to  pay  cash  ourselves,  a  large  account 
like  yours,  when  carried  on  our  books,  withdraws  a 
corresponding  amount  from  our  business. 

Under  present  conditions  the  margin  of  profit 
for  a  wholesaler  is  very  narrow.  Therefore  an  ac- 
count carried  for  any  length  of  time  becomes  an 
actual  loss. 

May  we  not  hear  from  you  at  your  earliest 
convenience? 

Yours  very  truly, 

F.  0.  Fetch  &  Co. 


COLLECTIONS  315 

If  a  debtor  fails  to  reply  satisfactorily  to  such  a  letter  as  the 
one  given  on  page  314,  and  the  creditor  decides  to  collect  the 
account  in  any  event,  a  letter  like  the  following  may  prove 
effective : 

Dear  Sir: 

As  you  have  not  replied  to  .our  letter  of  the  1st 
inst.,  with  reference  to  our  account  of  ^1650.84,  we 
must  ask  for  a  settlement  by  February  28. 

Our  agent,  Mr.  John  Gardner,  has  told  us  that 
you  said  something  to  him  about  giving  us  a  note  for 
three  months,  indorsed  by  The  S.  P.  Schelling  Com- 
pany, if  we  wciuld  send  you  our  spring  quotations 
on  flour. 

Under  no  circumstances  can  we  entertain  such  an 
arrangement,  and  we  must  state  that  if  your  account 
is  not  paid  on  the  date  above  mentioned,  we  shall 
place  the  matter  in  the  hands  of  our  attorneys  for 
immediate  collection. 

Yours  truly, 

F.  0.  Fetch  &  Co. 

189.  Illustrative  forms.  Letters  similar  to  the  following 
may  be  used  as  fourth  notices,  according  to  circumstances. 

Dear  Sir: 

We  beg  to  call  attention  to  your  account  amount- 
ing to  .  .  . ,  dating  from  .  .  . ,  which  no  doubt  has 
been  overlooked. 

A  prompt  remittance,  therefore,  will  be 

appreciated.  .   .  , 

^^  Yours  very  truly. 

Dear  Sir: 

We  have  an  account  on  our  ledger  against  you, 
amounting  to  .  .  .  and  dating  back  to  last   .  ., 
to  which  we  have  repeatedly  called  your  attention. 
We  feel  that  we  have  been  considerate  in  the  matter, 
and  trust  that  you  will  favor  us  with  an  immediate 
settlement.  ^^^^^  ^^^^  .^^^^^ 


3l6  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Dear  Sir: 

We  were  much  surprised,  on  referring  to  our 
books,  to  note  that  your  account  amounting  to  .  .  ., 
long  overdue,  remains  unpaid  after  the  many  communi- 
cations we  have  sent  you  regarding  it. 

Although  we  are  averse  to  subjecting  our  charge 
customers  to  additional  annoyance  and  expense,  if 
this  is  not  settled  by  .  .  . ,  we  will  place  the 
matter  in  the  hands  of  our  attorney  for  collection. 

Yours  very  truly. 

Gentlemen: 

Unless  your  account  is  settled  by  June  first,  we 
will  refer  it  to  the  Merchants'  Collection  Agency. 

Yours  truly. 

Study  the  models  on  pages  317  and  318. 

EXERCISE  I -Oral 

1.  If  the  idea  to  be  developed  in  a  dunning  letter  is  the  pay- 
ment of  an  account  at  once,  show  how  the  principle  of  unity 
applies  to  a  letter  of  this  nature.  Explain  why  emphasis  will 
very  likely  require  that  a  statement  calling  for  immediate  pay- 
ment be  placed  at  the  close  of  such  a  letter.  Give  a  reason 
why  such  a  statement  may  well  appear  both  at  the  beginning 
and  at  the  close  of  the  letter.  Why  should  the  writer  be 
particularly  careful  to  state  correctly  the  amount  that  is  due } 

2.  Where  should  you  place  the  following  letter  in  a  series 
of  collection  letters  t 

I  hope  that  the  inclosed  circular  will  contain 
some  timely  suggestions  for  your  spring  trade.     The 
articles  described  on  pages  23  and  24  have  never 
been  introduced  in  your  district,   and  it  might  be 
worth  your  while  to  feature  them  during  the  coming 
spring  opening. 

I  believe  that  a  statement  of  your  account  for 
$250  has  been  sent  to  you.     The  fact  that  our  terms 
are  cash  enables  us  to  give  to  our  customers  the 
advantage  of  such  opportunities  as  we  have  outlined 
in  this  letter.     May  we  not  hear  from  you  at  once? 


COLLECTIONS  317 

A  Collection  Letter 


STEEL  PRODUCTS  COMPANY 

7  Water  Street 
Birmingham,  Alabama 


August  10.   19 — 

Addison  Contract  Company 
New  Orleans.  La. 

Gentlemen: 

We  are  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  reason  for  your 
failure  either  to  answer  our  letters  about  the  payment  of 
the  inclosed  account  or  to  pay  our  recent  draft,  which  was 
returned  indorsed,  "Cannot  pay  now."  We  sincerely  hope 
that  you  are  not  meeting  with  any  difficulties  in  your 
business.   However,  if  this  should  be  the  case,  you  can 
depend  on  us  to  cooperate  with  you  in  every  reasonable 
way.   If  you  feel  that  you  require  a  further  extension  of 
time  to  meet  this  bill,  do  not  hesitate  to  place  the  facts 
before  us. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  you  are  in  a  position  to  do  so. 
we  trust  that  you  will  send  a  check  immediately.   When  we 
put  through  your  order,  we  expected  you  would  pay  the  bill, 
unless,  of  course,  unforeseen  contingencies  should  arise. 
To  disregard  the  obligation  imposed  on  you,  without  offer- 
ing any  reason  therefor,  is  bound  to  reflect  on  your  credit 
standing. 

We  want  you  to  feel  that  you  can  at  all  times  rely  on 
our  cooperation  and  fair  treatment,  and  we  confidently 
expect  similar  cooperation  on  your  part.   A  prompt  response 
will  help  to  avoid  any  further  misunderstanding. 

Yours  truly, 

felieAyQxyyv  &.  HM/nteA^ 
JCW/EB  Credit  Manager 


31 8  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

A  Collection  Letter 


C.  L.  CARTER  COMPANY 

MOTOR  CARS  AND  TRUCKS 

640  Crandall  Avenue,  Sacramento,  California 

November  27,  19 
Mr.  Charles  A.  Dawson 
Pearl  Street 
Berkeley,  Calif. 

Dear  Sir: 

About  this  time  of  the  year,  after  the  rush  is  largely 
over,  it  is  customary  for  us  to  go  over  our  accounts  care- 
fully to  discover  any  items  which  some  of  our  customers 
may  have  overlooked. 

Permit  us  to  call  your  attention  to  a  charge  against 
you,  dated  July  13,  for  $4.24.   This  is  for  thirteen  gallons 
of  gasoline  and  three  quarts  of  cylinder  oil  which  were  put 
into  your  car  at  the  time  it  left  us. 

If  this  charge  is  correct,  will  you  please  send  us  your 
check  in  settlement? 

Very  truly  yours. 

C.  L.  Carter  Company 

by  /i-amAAf  3^.  fSoAt'Cyyv 

Credit  Manager 
HTB/EN 


EXERCISE  2 

On  February  14,  19 — ,  E.  C.  Ferry  shipped  to  George  A. 
Harris  certain  goods,  and  at  the  same  time  mailed  him  an 
invoice,  which  stated  that  the  terms  were  cash. 

1.  Explain  how  E.  C.  Ferry  might  deal  with  the  account  on 
April  I,  following. 

2.  Prepare  two  different  types  of  statements  dated  May  i, 
and  show  how  each  might  properly  apply  to  the  case. 


COLLECTIONS  315 

3.  Prepare  a  letter  designed  to  collect  the  account  but  not 
to  injure  future  business  relations  between  Mr.  Ferry  and 
Mr.  Harris. 

4.  Prepare  a  letter  designed  simply  to  make  certain  the 
collection  of  the  account. 

EXERCISE  3 

Suppose  that  Mr.  Harris  has  replied  to  your  letter  under  4, 
Exercise  2,  offering  to  make  part  payment  and  to  give  you 
his  note  for  sixty  days  for  the  balance. 

1.  Write  Hariris  a  letter  refusing  his  offer  and  insisting  on 
payment  in  full.    Would  you  give  reasons.? 

2.  Write  a  letter  accepting  Harris's  offer. 

EXERCISE  4 

On  June  17,  Guy  W.  Ray  of  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  sold  to 
Mrs.  L.  Pike  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  a  bill  of  goods  amounting  to 
;? 1 75.50.  Write  for  Guy  W.  Ray  a  series  of  four  dunning 
letters. 

EXERCISE  5 

Oscar  Lapham  of  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  bought  of  Powers 
&  Healy,  Chicago,  III,  on  August  15,  a  piano  valued  at  $700. 
The  bill  was  not  paid  by  October  i,  as  agreed.  Two  letters 
have  already  been  sent  to  Lapham  by  Powers  &  Healy.  Write 
two  more  in  the  series.  Make  them  polite  but  insistent.  In 
other  words,  you  are  to  make  reasonably  certain  of  collecting 
the  money. 

190.  Acknowledging  payment  of  money.  In  acknowledging 
a  payment  it  is  usually  considered  sufficient  to  return  the  bill 
stamped  Paid,  Many  firms,  however,  consider  this  a  little  too 
formal  and  add  some  such  expression  as  ''  Thank  you,"  or  *'  We 
thank  you  for  your  remittance."  A  neat  form  of  acknowledg- 
ment is  to  return  with  the  paid  bill  a  card  similar  to  the  one 
given  on  the  following  page. 


320  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


<^t&(My&   a^<M^&jaZ   (yuA^ 

tAamJoQ^  j^cyo   y^<yM^    leAruit- 

taAi.^&,  le^&l/lot  j^ov  wAiAyfv 

ycyio  w-itt  ^i/yid 

L7i(2.ta^&ci. 

TAo-wiy  pwlyuAy&  cyvcCeA^ 

w-vtt  'b&(S^&iv-&  awb  ^vcyvn/Jot 

a/yici 

^oA^eJI^ivt  aZtemticyyi, 

ZfcyiuhQ^  tA^wUf, 

TfleXAX>^oli  tan 

€acd   ^, 

EXERCISE  6 

Read  over  the  letter  on  page  314,  sent  by  ¥.  O.  Fotch  &  Co. 
to  H.  P.  Button.  Supposing  that  Button  pays  the  account  on 
receipt  of  this  letter,  prepare  the  kind  of  acknowledgment  you 
think  suitable  as  a  reply. 

EXERCISE  7 

If  Button  pays  promptly  on  receipt  of  the  letter  on  page  314, 
be  ready  to  discuss  the  kind  of  acknowledgment  you  would 
send.  Remember  that  F.  O.  Fotch  &  Co.  have  forced  Button 
to  settle,  that  a  formal  receipt  is  usually  sufficient,  that  a  mer- 
chant is  supposed  to  be  busy,  and  that  if  he  seems  too  anxious 
to  placate  a  customer,  he  may  lose  in  dignity.  Prepare  a  reply 
for  F.  O.  Fotch  &  Co. 

EXERCISE  8 

Look  over  the  other  letters  on  pages  315-318  and  see  if 
there  are  any  which,  having  brought  about  prompt  payment, 
call  for  special  acknowledgment.  Prepare  an  acknov/ledgment 
of  payment  brought  about  by  any  of  these  letters. 


CHAPTER  XV 

MISCELLANEOUS  LETTERS 

In  this  chapter  various  letters  which  require  special  mention 
are  briefly  discussed. 

It  is  often  advisable  to  ratify  formally,  by  a  letter  which  may 
be  filed,  a  statem^ent  made  by  telephone  or  telegraph. 

A  Letter  ratifying  a  Telephone  Conversation 


The  Federal  Variety  Company 

15-19  West  Street 

PHILADELPHIA.  September  11,  Id- 
Mr.  James  P.  Ford 
Scranton,  Pa. 

Dear  Mr.  Ford: 

Your  telephone  order  for  immediate  shipment  of  Christ- 
mas toys  has  been  put  through,  and  you  will  find  inclosed  a 
statement  of  the  goods  listed. 

In  accordance  with  your  request  the  goods  will  be  billed 
to  you  at  sixty  days,  f.o.b.   This  extension  of  time  is,  as 
I  told  you.  contrary  to  our  usual  practice,  but  under  the 
circumstances  we  are  very  glad  to  meet  your  wishes.   The 
shipping  office  tells  me  that  the  goods  will  be  in  transit 
not  later  than  next  Saturday,  and  we  hope  that  they  will 
arrive  in  plenty  of  time  for  your  holiday  rush. 

Your  name  has  been  placed  on  the  list  of  those  receiving 
our  special  announcements,  and  we  trust  that  you  will  give 
us  an  opportunity  to  offer  quotations  on  your  spring  pur- 
chases. We  thank  you  for  your  present  order. 
Yours  truly. 

g/jj  Mgr.,  Wholesale  Dept. 


321 


322  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  1 

Edwin  M.  Carleton,  buyer  for  Edward  Walton  and  Com- 
pany, Olney  Falls,  Colorado,  has  telegraphed  to  the  Fisher 
Fiske  Company,  Los  Angeles,  California,  requesting  immedi- 
ate shipment  of  200  school  desks  as  described  in  the  Fisher 
Fiske  Company's  catalogue  for  the  current  year. 

1 .  Write  a  letter  for  Mr.  Carleton,  confirming  his  telegraphic 
order. 

2.  Write  for  the  Fisher  Fiske  Company  a  letter  confirming 
their  telegram  accepting  Mr.  Carleton's  order  before  receipt  of 
his  letter. 

0  I  EXERCISE  2 

^  You  have  sent  a  telegram  to  Patrick  J.  Mullen,  Emporia, 
Kansas,  offering  him  the  position  of  advertising  manager  in 
the  firm  of  Walbeck  and  Williams,  Jefferson  City,  Missouri,  at 
a  salary  of  six  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  three  years.  ^\ 

^      "Js^  Write  a  confirmation  of  your  telegram. 

3  ^>N  Mr.  Mullen  has  telegraphed  acceptance  of  your  offer. 
Write  his  letter  confirming  his  acceptance. 

EXERCISE  3 

1.  John  P.  White  has  telephoned,  asking  you  to  ship  to  his 
farm  two  carloads  of  Bitzer's  Fertilizer.  Supplying  all  details 
of  addresses,  write  to  Mr.  White,  confirming  the  acceptance  of 
his  order ;  give  price  and  date  of  shipment. 

2.  James  A.  Bruce  has  been  in  the  employ  of  your  company 
for  one  year  as  educational  director.  He  has  told  you  that  he 
has  been  offered  a  better  position  on  a  three  years'  contract. 
You  have  assured  him  that  his  work  has  given  entire  satisfac- 
tion, but  you  know  the  directors  of  your  company  will  not  make 
a  contract  with  him  for  more  than  one  year  at  a  time.  Write 
Mr.  Bruce  a  letter  confirming  your  conversation.  Mention  two 
reasons  why  you  think  he  should  retain  his  present  position. 


MISCELLANEOUS  LETTERS  323 

Even  if  an  inclosure  is  self-explanatory,  courtesy  may  require 
that  a  brief  letter  accompany  it. 

A  Letter  accompanying  a  Report 


International  Life  Insurance  Company 

MILWAUKEE,  WISCONSIN 

November  11.  19 — 
BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS 

International  Insurance  Company 
Hartford,  Connecticut 
Gentlemen:     ^ 

Inclosed  is  my  report  for  the  year  ending  December  31, 
19—. 

Respectfully  yours. 


ZlMZtva/yyv  <S^,  SuMfoxyyv 
Agent 


EXERCISE  4 

Write  a  letter,  complete  in  all  details,  explaining  an  inclosed 

check. 

EXERCISE  5 

Prepare  a  card  which  may  be  inclosed  with  receipted  bills 

by  a  firm  as  a  courteous  means  of  acknowledging  payments  by 

customers. 

EXERCISE  6 

Write  a  circular  letter  which  may  be  inclosed  with  copies  of 
a  school  catalogue  sent  to  prospective  students  inquiring  about 
the  school. 

A  house  letter,  or  interdepartment  letter,  is  written  by  one 
department  or  employee  of  a  firm  to  another.  It  is  usually 
written  on  stationery  from  which  the  regular  letterhead  of  the 
company  is  omitted.  As  a  rule  the  address,  salutation,  and 
complimentary  close  are  not  used.  In  brief,  the  letter  is 
restricted  to  such  notation  as  is  necessary  for  future  reference 
and  for  a  concise  statement  of  facts. 


324  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

House,  or  Interdepartment,  Letters 

CHAMBERS  MOTOR  COMPANY 

June  17,  19 — 
Memorandum  Avoid  Verbal  Orders 

To  Mr.  Counselman:  Copy  to  S.  N.  Smith 

Subject:  List  of  Chambers  and 

Other  Automobile  Owners 


According  to  our  arrangements  of  a  year  ago  we  have  been 
receiving  from  the  Auto  Directories  Company  lists  of  auto- 
mobile owners  registered  for  licenses  in  the  various  states. 
We  do  not  feel  that  we  derive  enough  benefit  from  these 
lists  to  warrant  our  continuing  the  subscription.   I  sug- 
gest, therefore,  that  unless  you  find  valuable  uses  for  them 
outside  this  department  we  discontinue  our  arrangement  with 
the  Auto  Directories  Company.   We  find  the  lists  inaccurate 
and  frequently  have  to  write  to  Chambers  owners  to  make  sure 
of  their  car  numbers. 


Date,  October  8,  19 — 

From  L.  K.  Day 

To  M.  P.  Walcott 

Subject,  Services  of  D.  R.  Bennett 

I  should  like  to  call  to  your  attention  D.  R.  Bennett. 
who  is  assistant  advertiser  in  the  Bargain  Basement. 
Mr.  Bennett,  in  addition  to  being  a  well-trained  college 
man,  is  an  expert  on  live  advertising  copy.   He  is  a 
valuable  man. 

I  have  just  had  a  tip  that  he  has  been  approached  by  one 
of  the  advertisers  in  Wilson's  downtown  store,  and  I  am 
wondering  if  you  cannot  find  a  way  to  keep  him  with  us. 
He's  too  good  to  let  go  elsewhere. 


MISCELLANEOUS  LETTERS  325 

EXERCISE  7 

Your  school  principal  wishes  all  teachers  to  make  a  report, 
not  later  than  May  5,  on  the  exact  scholarship  standing  of  all 
juniors  and  seniors.  Prepare  a  circular  letter  which  will  ask 
the  teachers  for  this  information. 

EXERCISE  8 

The  management  of  the  John  Parker  Company  Department 
Store,  Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  wishes  to  notify  department 
heads  that  all  members  of  the  sales  force  should  be  familiar 
with  the  firm's  newspaper  announcements  of  special  sales.  A 
salesman  should  know  not  only  of  the  announcements  affect- 
ing his  particular  line  but  also  of  those  concerning  the  store 
in  general.  Prepare  the  necessary  letter,  stating,  among  other 
things,  that  copies  of  all  newspaper  advertisements  will  be 
placed  on  the  departmental  bulletin  boards  at  four  o'clock  on  the 
afternoons  before  the  sales  take  place,  and  that  all  employees, 
whose  duty  requires  it,  will  be  expected  to  read  such  notices. 
Sign  the  letter  properly. 

EXERCISE  9 

1 .  For  the  principal  of  your  school  prepare  a  letter,  copies  of 
which  are  to  be  sent  to  the  secretary  of  every  student  organiza- 
tion. Announce  that  no  financial  obligation  may  be  assumed 
by  any  student  organization  unless  the  obligation  has  received 
the  sanction  of  the  head  of  the  commercial  department. 

2.  Prepare  a  letter,  copies  of  which  are  to  be  sent  to  the 
secretary  of  every  student  organization  in  your  school.  State 
that  each  organization  should  submit  to  the  secretary  of  the 
students'  council  and  to  the  principal  of  the  school  a  brief 
outline  of  its  proposed  activities.  Suggest  that  it  would  be 
wise  to  send  a  preliminary  outline  to  the  head  of  the  English 
department  for  criticism.  Point  out  the  necessity  of  having 
the  outlines  ready  not  later  than  the  first  of  October. 


326    •  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Military  letters  are   characterized  by  their   directness   and 
strict  adherence  to  a  fixed  form. 

Formal  Military  Letters 


f  eJJeral  aniber^itp 

Military  Department 
Army  Training  Corps 

Cleveland,  Ohio,  October  8,  19— 

From;     John  D.  Smith.  Private,  Company  "A,"  A.T.C., 

Federal  University,  Cleveland,  Ohio 
To:       The  Commanding  Officer,  Company  "A,"  A.T.C., 

Federal  University,  Cleveland,  Ohio 
Subject:  Request  for  ten  days'  furlough. 

1.  I  request  ten  days'  furlough  for  the  purpose  of 
visiting  my  parents  and  friends  in  Montpelier,  Vermont. 
Furlough  to  date  from  October  10  to  October  19,  both  days 
inclusive. 

jakn  Jb.  ofmJJJv 
Private.  Company  **A."  A.T.C. 

let  Ind.  (.Indorsement) 

Office  of  Company  "A."  A.T.C,  Federal  University,  Cleve- 
land. Ohio,  October  9,  19 — .   From  Commanding  Officer, 
Company  "A,"  to  Commanding  Officer,  A.T.C,  Federal 
University. 

Forwarded.  Approved.   Private  John  D.  Smith  has  had  no 

leave  of  absence  within  the  last  six  months.  His  services 

have  been  honest  and  faithful. 

Capt.  Inf.,  Commanding  Company  "A** 

2d    Ind.    (Indorsement) 

Federal  University,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  October  10,  19 — . 
From  Commanding  Officer,  A.T.C,  to  Commanding  Officer, 

Company  "A," 
Returned.  Approved.  Order  for  leave  for  Private  Smith 
inclosed  herewith. 

By  order  Captain  Browning 

1st  Lieut.  Infy.  Adjutant 


MISCELLANEOUS  LETTERS  327 

Informal  Military  Letter 


f  etieral  anitoers^itp 

Military  Department 
Army  Xraining  Corps 

Cleveland,  Ohio,  October  9,  19 — 
President  John  Smith 
Federal  University 
Cleveland,  Ohio 
My  dear  Mr.  President:^ 

Relative  to  our  conversation  of  this  morning  concerning 
the  attendance  of  the  students  at  the  State  fair  at  Brain- 
tree  on  Novemher  21,  19 — .  I  can  think  of  no  reason  why 
they  should  not  go.   They  could  entrain  here  at  9  A.M. 
and  reach  Braintree  In  time  to  give  an  exhibition  drill, 
and  have  ample  time  afterwards  to  visit  various  things 
of  interest. 

Railroad  schedules  indicate  that  we  could  return  to 
Cleveland  at  5  P.M. 

This  trip  would  be  a  good  outing  for  the  men,  and  I 
recommend  that  they  be  allowed  to  go.   Of  course  all  college 
duties  and  studies  will  have  to  be  suspended  for  that  day. 

Yours  truly. 

Commanding 
FLS/EN 


1  This  letter  may  be  addressed  ''  My  dear  President  Smith." 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  ADVERTISEMENT 

Advertising  is  a  vital  part  of  business.  American  business  men 
spend  more  than  one  billion  dollars  a  year  in  various  forms 
of  advertising,  and  are  evidently  preparing  to  spend  much 
more.  Publicity  is  an  accepted  necessity  for  everything  from 
the  carrying  on  of  a  political  campaign  to  the  selling  of  shoes. 

191.  Definition.  An  advertisement  is  anything  that  calls  atten- 
tion to  something  for  sale  (p.  243).  Printed  advertisements  are 
made  public  in  a  variety  of  ways.  They  are  either  inserted  in 
newspapers  and  magazines,  issued  as  circulars  or  circular  letters,, 
or  placed  on  billboards. 

192.  Classification.  Advertisements  may  be  classified  in  two 
great  divisions:  (i)  publicity  advertisements,  which  seek  to 
keep  something  constantly  before  the  public ;  (2)  sales  adver- 
tisements, which  directly  offer  certain  things  for  sale.  Adver- 
tisements may  also  be  classified  as  (i)  buyers'  advertisements, 
and  (2)  sellers'  advertisements. 

The  two  advertisements  given  below  should  make  clear  the 
general  difference  in  the  first  classification.  The  first  is  designed 
to  keep  before  the  public  a  certain  railway ;  the  second  offers 
for  sale  a  specific  thing- — suits. 

NEW  Direct  Electric  Express  and  Freight  Service.  The  New 
Buffalo  Terminal  of  the  Electric  Express  and  Freight  is  now 
open.  It  gives  improved  facilities  for  shipping  between  Buffalo 
and  points  south  on  lines  and  connections  of  the  New  York 
State  Street  Railway  Company.  Electric  Express  and  Freight. 
427  Morrison  Avenue,  Buffalo.    Tel.  Main  49. 

CAMBRIDGE-GRAY  Boys'  Suits,  $6.50  to  $12.75.  John. 
Hay  &  Co.,  30  Grove  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 

328 


THE  ADVERTISEMENT 


329 


There  are  various  other  ways  in  which  advertisements  may 
be  classified ;  for  example,  from  the  viewpoint  of  the  class  or 
group  of  buyers,  —  that  is,  men,  boys  ;  women,  girls  ;  educated 
persons,  uneducated  persons,  etc.  Obviously  the  form  and  style 
of  an  advertisement  should,  as  a  rule,  vary  with  the  class  of 
persons  to  whom  the  appeal  is  made. 

EXERCISE  1 

Classify  the  following  advertisements  in  as  many  ways  as 
you  can.  For  example,  the  first  is  (i)  a  direct-sales  advertise- 
ment ;  (2)  a  seller's  advertisement ;  (3)  designed  to  interest 
women  ;  (4)  probably  designed  to  interest  some  special  class 
of  buyers,  as  indicated  by  the  style  and  price  of  the  shoes. 

1.  A  "  Saturday  bargain  sale  "  of  women's  shoes. 

2.  A  railway  time-table  published  in  a  newspaper. 

3.  A  series  of  announcements  in  a  newspaper,  in  which 
Jones  Brothers  describe  the  progress  made  in  building  their 
new  store. 

4.  An  advertisement  giving  the  history  of  the  development 
of  a  certain  shoe  factory. 

5.  A  left-over  sale  of  men's  shoes. 

6.  A  newspaper  notice  stating  that  the  public  evening  schools 
will  be  open  at  a  certain  time,  and  giving  a  list  of  the  courses. 

7.  ''  Send  for  a  sample  of  our  handsome,  flat-opening  leaf 
and  of  our  Catalogue,  M-4,  which  describes  our  ledgers  and 
binding  devices.'' 

8.  Cleveland  College  of  Advertising 

403  Burgess  Building,  Cleveland 
Send  me  your  booklet ;  I  am  interested  in  your  course. 

Name 

Street  and  Number 

Town  or  City..' 

Occupation 

EXERCISE  2 

Make  a  list  of  ten  billboard  advertisements  and  classify  them 
as  provided  in  section  192. 

R 


330  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  3 

Make  a  list  of  ten  newspaper  advertisements  and  classify 
them  as  provided  in  section  192. 

EXERCISE  4 

Bring  to  class  five  examples  of  (i)  publicity  advertisements, 
and  (2)  direct-sales  advertisements. 

193.  The  breadth  of  advertising.  It  must  not  be  supposed 
from  the  classification  of  advertisements  given  above  that  adver- 
tising is  a  simple  subject,  to  be  dealt  with  adequately  in  a  »few 
pages  or  even  in  a  book  of  this  size.  Advertising  not  only 
involves  vast  sums  of  money,  but  is  one  of  the  most  highly 
developed  of  the  modern  arts.  In  its  wider  forms  it  presses 
into  service  almost  every  known  means  by  which  the  attention 
may  be  attracted  or  held,  drawing  on  psychology,  on  the  fine 
arts  (such  as  painting  and  sculpture),  and  on  such  forms  of 
literary  expression  as  assist  it  in  the  business  of  catching  the 
public  eye. 

194.  The  language  of  advertising.  Since  advertising  is  so 
broad,  it  is  difficult  to  lay  down  absolute  rules  governing  the 
subject.  Successful  advertisers  are  always  trying  new  methods. 
They  set  aside  hackneyed  rules  and  attract  the  attention  of  the 
public  by  some  novel  idea. 

Many  advertising  authorities  are  of  the  opinion  that  a  large 
amount  of  advertising  is  almost  entirely  wasted  by  the  neglect 
of  a  few  fundamental  principles.  This  may  be  made  clear 
if  advertising  is  considered  as  a  form  of  literary  expression. 
When  once  this  is  recognized,  it  is  possible  to  apply  the  prin- 
ciples that  govern  the  best  literary  forms,  which  are  most  effec- 
tive when  simple  and  direct.  Exaggerations  in  advertisements, 
as  in  the  drama  or  elsewhere,  lead  to  bombast  and  lack  of  force. 

The  advertiser  may  gain  another  very  important  hint  from 
the  acknowledged  master  of  expression,  Shakespeare,  who  in 
his  plays  never  draws  the  reader's  attention  from  the  characters 


THE  ADVERTISEMENT  33 1 

to  the  author.  In  reading  **  Macbeth "  one  rarely  thinks  of 
Shakespeare,  for  he  is  too  much  interested  in  the  fate  of  Mac- 
beth and  Lady  Macbeth.  So  the  writer  of  an  advertisement 
should  keep  himself  out  of  sight  and  push  before  the  reader 
only  the  goods  for  sale.  A  certain  class  of  advertisers  seem  to 
think  it  advisable  to  v^rite  their  autobiographies  for  the  benefit 
of  their  customers,  or  to  tell  how  much  larger  their  business 
is  than  that  of  somebody  else,  whereas  the  customer  is  looking 
for  something  to  buy.  Even  here,  however,  it  sometimes  pays 
to  impress  the  public  with  the  size  of  your  sales.  "  Men  will 
praise  thee,  when  thou  doest  well  to  thyself*'  is  profoundly 
true.  The  mere  fact  that  Brigham  sold  a  thousand  tons  of 
soap  last  year  is  likely  to  be  a  good  selling  argument  to  the 
average  buyer. 

But  just  what  to  say  in  an  advertisement  and  how  to  say  it 
defy  cut-and-dried  rules.  Rules,  of  course,  there  are,  but  they 
are  almost  as  subtle  as  those  governing  poetical  expression. 
In  general,  however,  a  glance  at  the  announcements  in  almost 
any  magazine  or  newspaper  will  show  that  the  language  of  the 
written  advertisement  is  likely  to  differ  somewhat  from  that  of 
ordinary  English.    In  an  advertisement 

1.  Punctuation  marks  are  likely  to  be  used  sparingly.  Frequently 
an  advertisement  has  no  punctuation  excepting  periods,  and  sometimes 
not  even  these. 

2.  Capitalization  is  frequently  used  for  the  sake  of  emphasis. 
Sometimes  a  whole  word  or  phrase  is  given  prominence  by  being 

capitalized. 

3.  Abbreviations  are  common.  They  save  space  and  give  a  certam 

kind  of  emphasis. 

4.  Paragraphs  are  usually  short  (see  section  89). 

5.  Sentences  are  usually  short.  Often  phrases  are  employed  where, 
in  ordinary  writing,  complete  sentences  would  be  employed. 

6  The  style  varies  with  the  class  of  readers  to  whom  the  appe^ 
is  made.  In  general,  however,  advertising  language  is  vivid  and 
forceful. 


332  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

195.  Essential  qualities.    An  advertisement  is  expected  to 

1.  Attract  attention. 

2.  Hold  interest. 

3.  Create  desire. 

4.  Induce  action. 

The  student  should  keep  in  mind  the  similarity  between  an 
advertisement  and  a  sales  letter. 

Furthermore,  an  advertisement  will  usually  conform  to  the 
following  principles  : 

1.  It  will  develop  one  central  idea. 

2.  It  will  state  that  idea  clearly. 

3.  It  will  be  as  concise  as  clearness  will  permit,  —  the  shorter 
the  better. 

4.  It  will  state  the  truth. 

EXERCISE  5 

Bring  to  class  five  examples  of  what  you  consider  good 
advertisements  taken  from  newspapers  or  magazines.  Be  pre- 
pared to  show  that  they  conform  to  the  principles  laid  down 
above. 

In  criticizing  an  advertisement  the  following  questions  may 
be  asked : 

1.  Has  it  one  central  idea  ? 

2.  Does  it  make  the  idea  clear  ? 

3.  Is  it  as  concise  as  possible  ? 

4.  Is  its  general  appearance  pleasing  ? 
6.  Is  it  forceful? 

6.  Does  it  offend  good  taste  in  any  way  ? 

7.  Is  it  convincing  ? 

8.  Does  it  tell  the  reader  clearly  how  he  is  expected  to  act 
upon  it?   (See  Exercise  i,  No.  8.) 

EXERCISE  6 

Bring  to  class  three  examples  of  what  you  consider  poor  ad- 
vertisements, and  be  prepared  to  give  some  criticism  of  them. 


THE  ADVERTISEMENT  333 

196.  Writing  advertisements.  The  student  probably  feels 
from  what  has  been  said  that  this  study  is  limitless  in  scope 
and  that  this  assignment  has  barely  scratched  the  surface  of 
the  subject.  Inexperienced  students  can  successfully  undertake 
only  the  more  simple  forms  of  advertising,  which  will  be  briefly 
treated  in  the  following  pages. 

Before  writing  an  advertisement  it  may  be  wise  to  make  a 
list  of  the  points  that  should  be  mentioned.  For  example,  in 
writing  an  advertisement  of  a  room  that  is  for  rent  the  points  to 
be  noticed  might  be  the  following :  location ;  convenience  of 
access  ;  to  whom^it  will  be  rented  ;  size ;  modern  conveniences ; 
heat ;  condition  (of  floor,  paper,  etc.) ;  price. 

The  completed  advertisement  might  appear  as  follows : 

CAMBRIDGE  —  No.  17  Perry,  near  corner  Magazine  St. 
Ten  minutes  from  Park  St.  Subway.  Convenient  location  for 
Harvard  student.  Newly  remodeled  large  bay-window  room, 
warm,  sunny,  hot-water  heat,  bathroom  floor.    $5 

EXERCISE  7 
Make  a  list  of  the  points  to  be  noted  in  preparing  adver- 
tisements for  the  following : 

1.  Room  for  rent. 

2.  House  for  sale  or  to  rent. 

3.  Bicycle  for  sale. 

4.  Pigeons  for  sale. 

5.  Typewriter  to  exchange. 

6.  Boat  for  sale. 

EXERCISE  8 

Write  an  advertisement  based  on  one  of  the  lists  of  points 
that  you  have  made  for  Exercise  7.  You  may  suggest 
illustrations. 

197.  Situations  wanted.  The  ''  situation  wanted "  adver- 
tisement is  a  common  one,  but  there  seems  to  be  a  widespread 
belief  that  such  advertisements  do  not  as  a  rule  bnng  results. 


334  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Such  an  impression  is  not  warranted,  for  many  business  men 
read  such  notices  when  in  search  of  employees.  Of  course  the 
beginner  is  not  to  suppose  that  a  mere  statement  of  his  quaUfi- 
cations  and  wishes  will  necessarily  secure  for  him  a  good  posi- 
tion. The  **  situation  wanted"  advertisement  is  simply  one  of 
the  many  legitimate  ways  by  which  a  position  may  be  found. 

The  remarks  on  page  332  apply  here,  and  the  examples  given 
below  illustrate  common  forms  of  this  kind  of  advertisement : 

BOOKKEEPER  and  general  office  man,  with  knowledge  of 
customhouse  work,  desires  a  position;  age  35;  references. 
Address  E.  T.  J.,  Toledo   Courier. 

BOOKKEEPER.  Lady  desires  first-class  position  with  re- 
liable concern  at  once;  Ai  references.  Address  V.  D.  M., 
Springfield  News, 

EXERCISE  9 

Prepare  a  newspaper  advertisement  in  which  you  offer  your-^ 
self  for  a  position.    Limit  your  statement  to  twenty  words. 

Prepare  an  advertisement  similar  to  the  preceding  one  which 
would  suitably  state  the  qualifications  of  some  young  person 
whom  you  know  and  who  is  now  in  business.  Limit  your 
advertisement  to  about  forty  words. 

EXERCISE  10 

Make  an  orderly  outline  of  the  points  you  would  mention  in 
one  of  the  following  newspaper  advertisements  : 

1.  A  spring  millinery  announcement. 
^  /  2.  A  sale  of  men's  shoes. 
V     3.  A  sale  of  standard  fiction. 

4.  An  announcement  of  a  new  textbook  on  stenography. 

5.  An  announcement  of  the  opening  of  evening  high  schools 
in  your  city. 

EXERCISE  11 

Examine  the  advertisements  on  pages  231  and  340  and 
make  a  list  of  the  points  mentioned  in  each. 


THE  ADVERTISEMENT  335 

EXERCISE  12 

Arrange  in  a  suitable  order  the  points  you  would  mention 
in  preparing  newspaper  advertisements  for  the  following : 

1.  Desk  room  for  rent  in  your  office. 

2.  Dog  for  sale. 

3.  Second-hand  automobile  for  sale. 

4.  Wanted  —  stenographer  and  typewriter. 

5.  For  rent  —  a  flat. 

6.  Summer  cottage  for  rent. 

7.  Second-hand  piano  for  sale. 

^  EXERCISE  13 

Write  a  suitable  advertisement  for  a  handbill  announcing 
one  of  the  following: 

^  -1.  A  church  social. 

2.  A  championship  football  game. 
L^'^^.  A  play  by  the  dramatic  club  of  your  school. 
4.  The  Christmas  issue  of  a  school  paper.   . 

EXERCISE  14 

Write  a  newspaper  ''for  rent"  advertisement  of  the  house 
in  which  you  live.  (Examine  similar  advertisements  in  a  good 
newspaper,  and  see  section  195.) 

EXERCISE  15 

Write  a  newspaper  advertisement,  stating  that  you  are  pre- 
pared to  give  instruction  on  the  piano  (or  on  any  musical 
instrument  that  you  prefer). 

V^     EXERCISE  16 
Offer  for  sale,  in  a  newspaper,  a  second-hand  typewriter. 

EXERCISE  17 
Prepare  a  newspaper  ''for  rent"  advertisement  for  one  of 
the  following:    (i)   a  room  suitable   for  one  person;    (2)  a 
room  suitable  for  a  married  couple  doing  light  housekeeping ; 
(3)  a  room  suitable  for  two  college  students. 


336  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  18 

Advertise  for  sale  your  collection  of  stamps,  giving  an 
adequate  idea  of  its  range  and  probable  value. 

198.  Advertisements  requiring  special  preparation.  From 
what  has  been  said  the  student  will  have  learned  that  certain 
kinds  of  advertisements  are  much  more  difficult  to  prepare 
than  others.  The  modern  advertiser  will  undertake  to  place 
before  the  public  almost  anything  from  a  complicated  invest- 
ment in  mining  stock  to  a  new  kind  of  shoe  lace.  He  can 
familiarize  the  whole  nation  with  a  breakfast  food  or  a  certain 
machine  oil.  But  no  matter  how  great  the  advertising  space  at 
his  command,  or  how  complicated  the  thing  is  which  he  wishes 
to  bring  to  public  attention,  his  aim  is  to  secure  interest  by 
clearness  of  statement.  Therefore,  although  he  may  have  at 
his  command  money  enough  to  buy  unlimited  space,  he  will 
still  aim  to  be  concise,  because  clearness  is  aided  by  concise- 
ness. He  may  use  a  whole  page  of  a  popular  magazine  (and 
such  space  frequently  costs  some  hundreds  and  even  thousands 
of  dollars),  but  what  he  puts  on  that  page  must,  to  be  effective 
in  the  long  run,  conform  to  the  three  fundamental  principles  of 
all  business  statements,  —  it  must  be  accurate,  clear,  and  concise. 

Below  are  given  two  advertisements  on  the  same  subject. 
The  longer  one  is  effective  because  of  its  clear  and  definite 
statements,  but  the  short  one  is  also  effective  by  its  brief 
suggestiveness  of  information  ''  on  any  mechanical  subject." 


W^HENEVER  you  need  a  toot   on  any  meckanical 
sutject   and    do    not   know   wkere    to    ottain    it,   ^vrite 

Everyday  Mecbanics  Book  Department 
100  Michigan  Avenue,  CKicago 


THE  ADVERTISEMENT  337 


Are  You  Meckanically  Inclined  ? 

If   so,   tnis    list   ox    practical,   up-to-date   mechanical    and 

electrical  looks  'will  interest  you.    Each  one  is  a  complete, 

c[epen(la1)le  treatise 

25  cents  eacJi,  ^ost^aia 

Practical  Electrics 

Study  of  Electricity  for  Beginners 

Dry  Batteries,  tKeir  Construction 

Modern  Primary  Batteries 

Electric  Gas-Igniting  Apparatus 

Alternating  Currents 

Electrical  Circuits  and  Diagrams 

Magnets  and  Magnetism 

Small  Electrical  Measuring  Instruments 

How  to  build  a  Biplane  Glider 

Windmills  and  Wind  Motors 

A  B  C  of  tKe  Steam  Engine 

Inventions,  How  to  Protect,  Sell,  and  Buy  tliem 

Simple  Soldering,  both  Hard  and  Soft 

Induction  Coils,  How  to  Make  and  Use  tbem 

Simple  Experiments  in  Static  Electricity 

Making  Wireless  Outfits 

Wireless  Telephone  Construction 

Telegraphy  for  Beginners 

Wiring  Houses  for  Electric  Light 

Low- Voltage  Electric  Lighting 

Electric  Bells,  Annunciators,  and  Alarms 

Magneto  Telephone 

A  uniform  series,  size  5  X.  7  inches 

EveryJay  Meckanics  Book  Department 

100  Michigan  Avenue,  Chicago 


Pages 

Illustrations 

135 

126 

88 

54 

59 

30 

105 

55 

101 

57 

90 

33 

72 

217 

94 

49 

90 

59 

60 

31 

83 

76 

30 

6 

108 

1 

82 

52 

75 

35 

72 

51 

61 

27 

74 

43 

63 

19 

93 

42 

92 

23 

95 

70 

86 

23 

338  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

The  advertisement  given  below  is  effective  because  of  its 
absolute  clearness.  The  reading  matter  and  the  display  express 
one  idea,  —  simplicity. 


SIMPLICITY 

IN  ADVERTISING 

The  trend  in  modern  art  is  toward  simplicity.  Simplicity 
is  beautiful  —  and  hard  to  achieve.  Simplicity  embodied  in 
silent  salesmanship  makes  the  most  successful  appeal.  We 
express  your  ideas  with  a  simple  and  perfect  typography 
that    lends    individuality   to    all    of  your   advertising   matter. 

HENEY  AND  COMPANY 
.  19  E.  45th  St.,  New  York 

Typesetters  to  Advertisers  and  Printers 


^ 


199.  Studying  advertisements.  A  suggestive  preparation  for 
writing  advertisements  is  the  collection  and  careful  study  of 
the  advertising  columns  of  newspapers  and  magazines.  Such 
advertisements  as  seem  to  you  unusually  good  may  be  pasted  in 
a  loose-leaf  holder,  where  they  may  be  easily  classified. 

EXERCISE  19 

Bring  to  class  two  effective  advertisements,  taken  from  any 
source  you  please,  which  seem  distinctive  for  one  of  the  fol- 
lowing qualities :  clearness,  conciseness,  interest  (to  you), 
emphasis. 

EXERCISE  20 

Choose  one  of  the  following  subjects  and  prepare  a  news- 
paper advertisement.    Make  a  list  of  the  points  that  you  in- 
tend to  mention.     You  may  suggest   illustrations  and  other 
features  for  your  ''  copy." 
* '  1.  Frank    B.    Cooper  &  Co.,  hardware   dealers   (address), 


announce  a  sale  of  cooking  utensils. 

2.  Nelson  and  Toby  (address)  announce  their  spring  mil- 
linery opening. 


THE  ADVERTISEMENT  339 

3.  Henry  O.  Wheeler  (address)  advertises  his  regular  fall 
line  of  pickles  and  preserves. 

4.  O.  J.  Blakesley  (address)  announces  a  removal  sale  of 
men's  and  boys'  ready-made  clothing. 

6.  Charles  F.  Farnsworth  &  Co.  (address)  advertise  their 
^^  Unique  "  kitchen  range. 

6.  Mrs.  M.  P.  Jerrold  announces  that  she  will  send  anywhere 
in  the  state,  delivery  charges  paid,  her  homemade  preserves, 
candies,  and  spice  cake. 

EXERCISE  21 

Prepare  for  a  magazine  an  advertisement  of  the  fall  opening 
of  a  business  school.  Mention  the  courses  of  study,  give  the 
amount  of  the  tuition  fees,  and  add  any  statement  that  you 
consider  likely  to  make  the  announcement  attractive.  Such 
statements  might  mention  the  low  tuition  fees,  the  business- 
like character  of  the  work,  the  high  standing  of  the  graduates 
in  the  business  world,  and  similar  matters. 

EXERCISE  22  '^'^       (^ 

Prepare  advertisements  for  any  two  of  the  following :  ' 

1.  A  second-hand  set  of  surveyor's  instruments  in  good 
condition. 

\   2.  Hooked-rag  mats. 

3.  Player-piano  or  phonograph.    Be  as  definite  as  you  can. 

4.  Webster's  International  Dictionary  or  the  Standard  Dic- 
tionary, latest  edition. 

5.  Automobile  tool-roll  or  pyrograph  outfit.  [ju    cJ 

EXERCISE  23  ^    /  / 

Prepare  an  advertisement  in  which  you  offer  to  exchange. 

^       1.  A  rowboat  for  a  camping  outfit. 

2.  A  phonograph  for  a  kitchen  cabinet. 

3.  A  set  of  golf  sticks  for  a  rifle. 

4.  A  pneumatic  carpet  sweeper  for  an  ice-cream  freezer 
and  cash. 


340  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

200.  The  buyer's  advertisement.  We  have  so  far  considered 
advertising  from  the  sellers'  point  of  view,  but  reference  to  any 
good  newspaper  will  show  that  buyers  also  advertise  extensively. 
Among  buyers'  advertisements  ''  help  wanted  "  announcements, 
calls  for  capital  to  invest,  and  offers  to  buy  real  estate  or 
merchandise  are  particularly  common. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  types  of  advertisements 
frequently  inserted  by  buyers  : 

YOUNG  MAN  wanted  in  office  of  manufacturing  concern ; 
must  be  neat  in  appearance  and  willing  to  work.  Answer  in 
own  handwriting,  stating  age.    Address  X  428,  Herald  Office. 

COMPETENT  cotton  mill  office-man  wanted  who  has  had 
mercantile  experience ;  one  who  is  familiar  with  and  capable  of 
carrying  out  details  in  the  supply  and  demands  of  a  cotton  mill 
in  its  various  requirements ;  no  one  but  a  man  of  experience 
and  education  need  apply ;  best  of  references  required ;  salary 
according  to  ability.  Address  A.  B.  Marshall,  13  West  St., 
New  York  City. 

CAPITAL  WANTED.  A  private  party,  business  man  or 
capitalist,  with  ^15,000  available  money,  is  wanted  to  finance  a 
business  enterprise  from  which  large  returns  can  be  had.  In- 
vestor to  have  full  control  of  his  capital  and  may  take  active 
or  silent  interest.    For  particulars  address  E.R.  J.,  Atlanta  Times. 

WANTED.  Two  adjoining,  unfurnished,  front,  sunny,  well- 
heated  and  well-lighted  rooms  in  Hyde  Park,  in  a  refined  Amer- 
ican family,  with  breakfasts,  by  a  young  woman  in  business. 
Best  of  references  furnished.    Address  B.J.  B.,  Western  Gazette. 

WANTED.  In  the  Back  Bay  district  or  Brookline,  room, 
with  board,  in  private  family,  by  young  Boston  business  man ; 
answers  must  give  full  particulars,  including  price.  Address 
H.  J.  J.,  Boston  Evening  Transcript. 

WANTED.  Will  pay  cash  for  10  acres  within  easy  walk  of 
cars,  50  fare  to  city.    Address  K.  S.,  Spokane  Times. 


THE  ADVERTISEMENT  341 

WANTED.  Few  miles  from  South  Station  three-acre  modem 
place;  barn,  henneries  ;  buy  or  lease.   G.  A.  E.,  Columbus  iVhe/j. 

THE  BEST  PLACE  to  sell  Books,  Prints,  and  Autographs 
is  Goodspeed's  Bookshop,  15  Perkins  Street,  City.  Valuations 
made  at  residence  if  desired. 

The  essential  quality  of  a  buyer's  advertisement  is  clearness. 
Specific  terms  are  preferred  to  general  ones.  To  advertise  that 
you  wish  to  buy  a  good  house  is  likely  to  bring  few  pertinent 
answers,  when  exactly  what  you  mean  is  a  single  house,  colonial 
style,  with  not  mpre  than  eight  rooms,  four  of  which  must  be 
bedrooms.  Similarly,  you  should  be  definite  when  advertising 
for  help.  If  you  are  not  definite,  you  are  certain  to  waste  your 
own  time  and  that  of  applicants  who  are  unfitted  for  the  place 
and  who  would  not  have  applied  if  the  advertisement  had  been 
more  specific. 

Of  course,  in  abnormal  times,  when  demand  far  exceeds 
supply,  one  might  feel  that  he  had  better  buy  any  house  he 
can  get  or  employ  any  person  who  applies  for  work.  But  it  is 
indeed  seldom,  even  in  abnormal  times,  that  the  buyer  needs 
to  be  more  alert  than  the  seller  and  has  to  give  more  than  a 
reasonable  statement  of  his  wishes  in  order  to  find  someone 
who  is  as  willing  to  sell  as  he  is  to  purchase. 

EXERCISE  24  g-     > 

Prepare  advertisements  that  should  interest  the  following 
persons  who  are  looking  for  positions.  Make  a  list  of  the 
points  to  be  mentioned  in  each  advertisement. 

1.  A  domestic  servant. 

2.  A  chauffeur. 

3.  An  office  boy.   " 

4.  A  graduate  of  high  school. 

5.  An  inexperienced  stenographer. 

6.  An  experienced  bookkeeper. 


342  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

ft^    A  tf  EXERCISE  25 

V    ^  Prepare  an  advertisement  of  a  situation  for  which  you  consider 
yourself  qualified. 

EXERCISE  26 

'^n  Prepare  an  advertisement,  stating  that  you  wish  to  rent  a 
^  ,  ^/summer  cottage. 

EXERCISE  27 


Prepare  an  advertisement,  stating  that  you  wish  to  buy  a 
second-hand  automobile. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

REPORTS  AND  SUMMARIES 

THE  REPORT 

201.  Subject  matter  of  reports.  An  employee  may  be  called 
upon  to  submit  a  written  report  to  the  management.  Such  a 
report  may  be  the  account  sent  to  the  head  office  at  the  end  of 
the  year  by  the  manager  of  an  agency ;  it  may  be  an  account 
of  the  working  of  the  ventilating  system  in  a  store ;  it  may  be 
a  report  on  the  outstanding  ''charge"  accounts;  it  may  deal 
with  the  sales  resulting  from  newspaper  advertising  or  with 
almost  any  conceivable  subject  that  the  managers  of  the  business 
wish  to  know  about. 

The  following  reports  should  be  studied  as  furnishing  ex- 
amples of  common,  though  widely  varying,  kinds.  The  first  is 
one  that  a  student  should  readily  learn  to  write ;  the  second 
requires  more  care,  especially  in  arrangement. 

Report  of  a  Meeting  of  Boy  Scouts 


The  regular  meeting  of  Troop  5  was  held  on  Friday  even- 
ing. April  15,  with  President  John  Oyler  in  the  chair. 
The  records  of  the  last  meeting  were  read  and  approved. 

The  secretary  announced  that  the  following  scouts  had 
passed  tests  for  merit  badges:  assistant  patrol  leader 
Robert  Marston.  scouts  Philip  G.  Farley,  Reginald  Curry,  and 
John  Plympton.   Philip  Marston  was  admitted  to  the  troop  as 
a  tenderfoot  and  assigned  to  the  Lynx  patrol. 

It  was  voted  to  hold  the  usual  field  day  and  exhibition 
on  Saturday,  June  4. 

Scout  master  R.  E.  Kimball  gave  notice  that  the  next 
hike  to  Camp-site  would  be  on  Saturday,  April  23. 

On  motion  of  scout  Briscoe,  the  meeting  was  adjourned  so 
that  the  usual  tests  might  be  made. 

i/yi^.   Sec. 


343 


344  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Report  of  a  Sales  Manager 


Chicago.  111. 
January  1,  19 — 
Mr.  Mark  R.  Kenerson,  President 
Acme  Pencil  Pointer  Company 
Pennsylvania,  Pa. 

Dear  Sir: 

I  submit  herewith  a  tabulated  statement  showing  the 
total  number  of  Acme  Pencil  pointers  sold  for  the  year  end- 
ing December  31,  19 — .   To  this  statement  has  been  appended 
a  memorandum  of  the  annual  sales  of  the  company  since  its 
incorporation  five  years  ago. 

You  will  see  that  our  sales  have  increased  ten  per  cent 
over  those  of  the  preceding  year. 

There  are  now  twenty-two  agents  traveling  for  the  com- 
pany—  five  more  than  a  year  ago. 

Our  policy  of  maintaining  agencies  in  various  cities  has 
been  fully  justified.   During  the  year  new  agencies  have 
been  established  in  Cleveland,  Ohio;  Kansas  City,  Missouri; 
Dallas,  Texas;  Toronto,  Canada;  and  London,  England.   The 
total  number  of  agencies  is  now  fourteen. 

We  are  finding  competition  very  keen.   Two  new  pointers 
have  been  placed  on  the  market  this  year,  both  resembling 
our  machine  in  construction  and  efficiency. 

In  closing,  permit  me  to  make  two  recommendations: 

1.  That,  if  possible,  a  pointer  be  devised  which  can  be 
sold  for  a  dollar  less  than  our  present  Standard  Al. 

2.  That  some  of  our  most  efficient  agents  receive  a  ten 
per  cent  increase  in  salary.   In  spite  of  the  liberal  policy 
of  the  company,  I  am  finding  it  difficult  to  retain  the 
services  of  our  best  men^ 

Respectfully  submitted. 


202.  Preparation  of  reports.  A  properly  written  report  con- 
tains the  basic  principles  of  expression  that  are  common  to  all 
kinds  of  writing,  —  unity,  coherence,  emphasis,  and  euphony ;  but 
its  essential  qualities  are  accuracy  and  clearness.    The  style  or 


REPORTS  AND  SUMMARIES  345 

tone  must  suit  the  occasion.  If  the  report  is  on  a  technical  sub- 
ject and  intended  for  experts,  it  may  use  highly  technical  terms  ; 
but  if  it  is  designed  for  popular  reading  (as  is,  for  example,  the 
annual  report  of  a  superintendent  of  schools),  it  should  use  a 
vocabulary  and  a  style  familiar  to  the  average  person.  In  short, 
a  good  report  must  be  adapted  to  the  viewpoint  of  the  reader. 
In  collecting  material  for  a  report  much  of  its  success  depends 
on  systematic  note-taking.  The  following  points  are  suggestive, 
especially  for  long  reports : 

1 .  Decide  tentatively  on  the  viewpoint  to  be  taken. 

2.  Collect  facts,  be  sure  of  them,  and  place  them  on  cards  or 
arrange  them  by  some  other  convenient  system.  A  loose-leaf 
notebook  is  preferable  to  one  that  is  bound. 

3.  Look  over  the  notes,  discarding  those  which  are  irrelevant 
and  adding  others  if  necessary. 

4.  Arrange  these  in  a  logical  order. 

203.  Writing  the  report.    In  writing  the  report, 

1.  Give  attention  to  the  opening  paragraph,  deciding  on  the 
point  of  view.    Make  clear  the  subject  to  be  discussed. 

2.  See  that  each  paragraph  is  a  unit. 

3.  Place  important  statements  near  the  beginning  or  close 
and  the  less  important  ones  in  the  middle. 

4.  In  a  long  report  it  is  often  wise  to  close  with  a  summary. 

5.  The  report  may  be  preceded  by  an  outline  if  this  will  be 
an  aid  to  clearness. 

204.  Models.  Elaborate  reports  are  readily  found.  Good 
models  for  study  are  the  annual  reports  of  the  school  supenn- 
tendent  of  your  town  or  city  and  the  reports  of  the  departments 
of  any  city  government.  The  federal  government  (through  the 
Printing  Bureau  at  Washington)  and  the  various  departments 
of  your  state  publish  numerous  reports  of  interest  to  busmess 
men ;  these  documents  may  be  had  free  or  at  a  nominal  cost. 
Such  institutions  as  insurance  companies,  banks  and  pub  he- 
service  corporations  publish  reports  which  are  freely  distnbuted 


346  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

for  advertising  purposes.    Below  is  given  the  contents  of  and 
an  extract  from  a  well-known  report  on  commercial  education : 

Letter  of  transmittal. 

Preface. 

Part  I.  The  commercial  curriculum ; 

1 .  The  problem. 

2.  Types  of  organization  giving  secondary  commercial  education. 

3.  Purposes. 

4.  Suggestions  for  a  commercial  curriculum. 

5.  Need  for  definiteness  of  aim.  •* 

6.  Relations  of  commercial  education  to  the  business  community. 

7.  Educational  aims  of  commercial  curriculums. 

8.  The  short  curriculum  considered. 

9.  Commercial  work  in  the  seventh,  eighth,  and  ninth  years. 
10.  Suiting  the  curriculum  to  community  needs. 

Part  IL  Suggestions  regarding  courses  in  the  commercial  curriculum: 

1.  English. 

2.  Foreign  languages. 

3.  Science. 

4.  Social  studies. 

5.  Commercial  studies. 
Part  III.  Conclusion. 
Appendix. 

The  admirable  chapter  on  business  English  in  the  report  of 
the  National  Joint  Committee  on  English,  which  represented 
the  Commission  on  the  Reorganization  of  Secondary  Education 
and  the  National  Council  of  Teachers  of  English,  has  simplified 
the  task  of  this  committee.^  Some  aspects,  however,  call  for 
further  consideration. 

First,  the  committee  urges  the  importance  in  the  commer- 
cial curriculum  of  instruction  and  training  in  the  use  of  oral 
English.  Probably  90  per  cent  or  more  of  the  English  used  in 
business,  and  in  life  generally,  is  oral,  and  yet  fully  75  per  cent 
of  school  instruction  in  English  has  been  in  written  work.  By 
rnore  oral  work,  time  can  be  saved  for  habit-forming  drill,  and 
at  the  same  time  a  better  command  of  the  English  language 
can  be  secured.     Oral  reports,  sales  talks,  verbal  instruction, 

1  " Reorganization  of  English  in   Secondary   Schools"  in  Bulletin  No.  2 
(191 7),  United   States  Bureau  of  Education. 


REPORTS  AND  SUMMARIES  347 

conversation,  etc.,  all  are  of  vital  importance.  Frequent  short 
oral  reports  are  better  than  infrequent  longer  prepared  papers. 
Constant  practice,  not  intermittent  and  occasional  effort,  is 
necessary  to  form  habits  of  correct  speaking  and  writing.  The 
oral  work  must,  of  course,  be  carefully  supervised.  Students 
must  be  taught  to  speak  with  enough  deliberation  to  insure  clear 
statement  and  correct  grammatical  expression.  Interruptions  by 
other  pupils  must  not  be  permitted,  as  they  tend  to  make  the 
speaker  talk  faster  than  he  can  think.  Short-time  assignments 
enable  the  teacher  to  insist  that  the  pupil  who  has  the  floor  shall 
proceed  without  interruption  to  the  end.  Criticism  of  his  efforts 
should  follow,  due  care  being  taken  to  suit  the  criticism  to  the 
grade  in  which  it' is  given  and  to  keep  it  on  a  high  level. 

Daily  practice  in  understanding  and  executing  oral  orders 
should  be  given.  Business  men  justly  complain  that  few  boys 
or  girls  can  understand  an  order  that  contains  more  than  one  or  ' 
two  factors.  The  office  boy  who  is  told  to  "  go  to  the  vertical 
file  in  the  outer  office,  pull  out  the  left  drawer  of  the  middle 
section,  and  get  folder  number  89  "  can  generally  be  counted 
on  to  return  for  instructions  one  or  more  times  before  accom- 
plishing the  assigned  task. 

Regarding  selections  for  reading,  the  committee  urges  that 
consideration  be  given  to  the  needs  of  commercial  students 
throughout  the  six  years  covered  by  the  report.  They  should 
read  articles  on  current  events,  many  of  which  will  be  found 
in  the  high-grade  magazines  and  leading  weeklies.  In  addition, 
we  urge  that  a  part  of  the  reading  deal  with  practical  affairs. 
Such  a  classic  as  Franklin's  "  Autobiography  "  will  serve  a  good 
purpose  as  literature  and,  in  addition,  will  prepare  for  practical 
life.  The  committee  also  urges  that  commercial  students  read 
some  of  the  great  inspirational  writings  of  Shakespeare,  Milton, 
Tennyson,  Stevenson,  and  also  the  best  representatives  of 
American  literature.  We  believe  that  freedom  from  the  tradi- 
tional college-entrance  requirements  will  make  possible  the  care- 
ful selection  of  material  and  its  adaptation  to  the  specific  needs 
of  pupils  pursuing  this  curriculum.  Particularly  would  we  sug- 
gest the  desirability  of  reading  more  from  contemporary  literature 
and  from  writers  immediately  preceding  the  present  age.  More 
detailed  suggestions  for  the  six  years  of  the  curriculum  foUow. 


348  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  1-Oral 
Be  prepared  to  give  a  short  talk  on  one  of  the  following : 

1.  Books  that  everyone  should  read. 

2.  Books  that  a  business  man  should  know. 

3.  The  best  magazine  I  know. 

4.  Any  subject  suggested  by  the  extract  given  above. 

EXERCISE  2 

1.  Make  an  outline  of  a  day's  work  in  school. 

2.  Write  a  report,  following  your  outline. 

EXERCISE  3 

1 .  Make  an  outline  of  what  happened  at  some  public  meeting 
or  entertainment. 

2.  Write  a  report  according  to  your  outline. 

EXERCISE  4 

After  making  an  outline,  write  a  report  on  your  progress  in  the 
study  of  stenography  (or  typewriting,  bookkeeping,  commercial 
arithmetic)  this  year. 

EXERCISE  5 

A  friend  of  yours  has  written  you  a  letter  about  the  advis- 
ability of  renting  a  cottage  next  season  at  the  place  where  you 
spend  your  summers.  Write  him  in  detail,  giving  favorable  and 
unfavorable  points  about  the  place. 

EXERCISE  6 

Prepare  a  report,  to  be  read  at  a  business  meeting,  on  one 
of  the  following  subjects : 

1.  The  football  season,  the  baseball  season. 

2.  A  general  survey  of  the  work  of  the  debating  club  or  the 
dramatic  club. 

EXERCISE  7 

Prepare  a  report,  giving  an  account  of  the  growth  and  present 
condition  of  student  activities  in  your  school. 


REPORTS  AND  SUMMARIES  349 

EXERCISE  8 

As  secretary-treasurer  of  the Club,  prepare  an  annual 

report  to  be  read  at  the  final  meeting  of  the  year. 

EXERCISE  9 

Your  firm  have  been  using  two  kinds  of  typewriting  machines, 
the and  the .   They  need  five  more  machines. 

1.  Write  a  brief  report  on  the  relative  value  of  the  two 
kinds  they  now  have. 

2.  Write  a  report,  recommending  that  they  buy  a  new  kind 
of  machine.  ' 

EXERCISE  10 

The  following  subjects  will  furnish  extended  exercises  in 
either  oral  or  written  compositions  and  will  require  about  the 
same  preparation  as  business  reports.  Each  student  may  be 
required  to  investigate  and  report  on  a  special  subject. 

Single-entry  and  double-entry  bookkeeping  compared. 

How  to  close  a  journal  in  bookkeeping. 

National  banks. 

Post-oflice  savings  bank. 

The  zone  system  of  the  parcel  post. 

Railway  zones. 

Cash  registers. 

Filing  and  indexing. 

Board  of  trade. 

The  meaning  in  business  oi^rm  and  company. 

The  meaning  in  business  of  limited  stock  company. 

The  meaning  in  business  of  syndicate  and  trust. 

Employment  bureau. 

The  function  of  rating  houses  (Lloyd's,  Dun  and  Company, 
Bradstreet's). 

Commercial  draft. 

The  stock  exchange. 

Stock  taking. 

The  insurance  business. 

Standard  time. 


3SO  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

THE  SUMMARY 

205.  Purpose  of  the  summary.  The  summary  is  an  abridged 
statement  of  a  longer  account.  It  is  frequently  employed  in 
business  as  a  means  of  giving  information  in  concise  form. 
For  example,  the  head  of  a  department  may  be  asked  to  sum- 
marize his  yearly  report  for  the  benefit  of  the  head  of  the  firm, 
who  does  not  care  to  examine  the  details  of  the  whole  report ; 
or  a  clerk  may  be  required  to  summarize  the  complete  corre- 
spondence covering  a  business  transaction.  Many  firms  keep 
for  reference  brief  summaries  of  important  letters. 

206.  Good  examples.  The  student  should  examine  carefully, 
as  classic  examples  of  condensation,  some  of  the  stories  of 
Shakespeare's  plays  in  Lamb's  "  Tales  from  Shakespeare." 
The  book  reviews  which  are  a  regular  feature  of  certain  editions 
of  many  newspapers  and  of  some  magazines  furnish  excellent 
material  of  a  similar  kind.  Many  of  the  articles  in  an  encyclo- 
pedia are  good  examples  of  condensation. 

Remember  that  most  statements  can  be  condensed.  The  hat 
dealer  who  first  prepared  his  sign  to  read  ''  Good  Hats  for  Sale 
Here  "  condensed  it  as  follows : 

Good  Hats  for  Sale  Here 
Hats  for  Sale  Here 
Hats  for  Sale 
Hats 

Stopford  A.  Brooke  has  compressed  into  a  small  volume  of  little 
more  than  two  hundred  pages  a  readable  account  of  a  thousand 
years  of  English  literature. 

The  following  paragraph  is  a  summary  of  the  second  selection 
in  Exercise  37,  page  144  : 

Goethe  says  that  bookkeeping  is  a  remarkable  discovery.  This 
study  trains  a  pupil,  because  it  compels  him  to  work  for  months 
with  diligence  and  accuracy  if  he  desires  to  reach  a  correct  re- 
sult. Since  mistakes  involve  much  labor,  the  pupil  must  exercise 
foresight ;  but  if  the  books  balance,  he  has  sufficient  reward  in 


REPORTS  AND  SUMMARIES  351 

his  satisfaction.  The  consciousness  of  having  performed  work 
accurately  strengthens  his  desire  to  be  accurate.  His  character 
has  been  strengthened. 

The  following  paragraph  is  a  summary  of  the  selection  in 
section  105  : 

Disputes  over  accounts  may  cause  such  serious  loss  to  a 
retail  business  that  many  merchants  aim  to  settle  them  exactly 
as  the  customer  demands.  A  prominent  Chicago  merchant 
requires  his  employees  to  act  in  all  such  cases  as  if  the  customer 
were  right.  When  a  woman  brought  to  his  store  a  hat  which 
she  had  not  boi^ght  there,  he  immediately  gave  her  the  credit 
which  she  demanded.  He  did  this,  knowing  that  the  woman 
would  later  discover  her  mistake  and  advertise  widely  his  liberal 
treatment.  If  a  customer  believes  she  is  right  in  a  controversy,  a 
merchant  must  setde  it  to  her  satisfaction.    Such  a  policy  pays. 

207.  Method  of  preparation.   When  preparing  a  summary, 
note  the  following  points : 

1.  A  plan  or  outline  will  aid  in  giving  prominence  to  essential 
facts  that  must  be  retained  (p.  140). 

2.  Clearness  must  not  be  sacrificed  for  the  sake  of  brevity. 

3.  Complete  sentences  must  be  used. 

4.  The  requirements  of  unity,  coherence,  and  emphasis  must 
not  be  violated. 

EXERCISE  11  — Oral 
In  a  three-minute  talk  give  the  class  some  idea  of  a  book 
which  you  have  read  recently.   Use  an  outline  if  you  consider 
it  necessary. 

EXERCISE  12 -Oral 
Report  to  the  class  the  main  facts  of  a  speech  or  a  lecture 
that  you  have  heard  or  read. 

EXERCISE  13 -Oral 

Explain  briefly  the  fundamental  facts  about  shorthand. 


352  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  U-Oral 

Summarize  in  a  brief  talk  the  chief  facts  that  are  given  in 
some  advertising  pamphlet  explaining  the  advantages  claimed 
for  a  certain  fountain  pen  (a  typewriter,  an  automobile,  a  sewing 
machine,  a  hotel,  etc.). 

EXERCISE  15 

Make  an  outline  of  the  letter  on  page  344  and  write,  in  not 
more  than  fifty  words,  a  summary  based  on  the  outline. 

EXERCISE  16 

Make  an  outline  of  what  has  been  said  about  slang  on 
pages  9  and  10  and  write  a  summary  based  on  the  outline. 

EXERCISE  17 

Write  a  short  paragraph,  summarizing  the  report  which  you, 
as  secretary-treasurer,  wrote  in  accordance  with  the  requirements 
of  Exercise  8. 

EXERCISE  18 

Write  a  summary  of  your  last  lesson  in  history  or  in  some 
other  subject. 

EXERCISE  19 

Make  a  careful  outline  of  Chapter  V  and  write  a  summary 
of  the  chapter. 

EXERCISE  20 

In  a  paragraph  or  two  write  the  story  of  a  play  that  you  have 
recently  attended. 

EXERCISE  21 

1.  Make  an  outline  of  the  most  interesting  book  that  you 
have  recently  read. 

2.  Write  a  brief  summary  based  on  the  outline  which  you 
have  just  made. 


REPORTS  AND  SUMMARIES  353 

EXERCISE  22 

Bring  to  class  a  newspaper  editorial  of  which  you  have  written 
a  brief  summary. 

EXERCISE  23 
Write  a  summary  of  the  selection  in  Exercise  42. 

EXERCISE  24 

Select  a  letter  that  you  have  already  written,  and  rewrite 
it,  condensing  it  as  much  as  possible  without  leaving  out 
essential   facts. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE  TELEGRAPHIC  MESSAGE 

208.  Classification.  A  telegram  is  a  telegraphic  message  sent 
wholly  by  land;  a  cablegram  is  one  sent  by  means  of  a  submarine 
cable.  A  message  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco  is  a  tele- 
gram ;  one  from  New  York  to  London  is  a  cablegram.  A  message 
sent  by  the  Marconi,  or  wireless,  system  is  called  a  wireless  message. 
It  is  often  called  a  Marconigram. 

All  telegraphic  messages  imply  haste  and  are  expressed  in 
the  fewest  words  compatible  with  clearness.  However,  clear- 
ness, as  applied  to  a  telegraphic  message,  refers  only  to  the 
point  of  view  of  the  receiver.  Its  meaning  need  not  be  under- 
stood by  others,  and  it  is  often  worded  expressly  to  conceal  the 
meaning  from  anyone  else. 

From  the  point  of  view  of  the  wording,  there  are  three  kinds 
of  telegraphic  messages : 

1.  The  plain-language  message,  which  is  written  in  any  language, 
using  the  ordinary  alphabet. 

2.  The  code  message,  in  which  arbitrarily  chosen  words  signify 
certain  expressions. 

3.  The  cipher  message,  which  is  made  up  either  of  groups  of  letters, 
so  that  they  cannot  be  pronounced^  or  of  figures.  The  cipher  code  is 
really  a  kind  of  private  alphabet. 

209.  The  telegram,  i.  The  telegram  heading  is  usually 
limited  to  the  city  or  town,  state,  and  date. 

2.  Such  forms  of  courtesy  as  the  salutation  Dear  Sir  and 
the  complimentary  close  Yours  truly  are  omitted. 

3.  Such  words  as  the  and  a,  or  any  word  not  necessary  for 
clearness,  are  omitted. 

354 


THE  TELEGRAPHIC  MESSAGE  355 

4.  Each  of  the  following  is  counted  as  one  word : 

a.  Every  dictionary  word.    (Any  word  of  more  than  fifteen  letters 
is  counted  as  two  words.) 

b.  Every  isolated  letter,  such  as  L  in  George  I.  Brown. 

c.  Every  word  in  a  person's  name. 


THE  UNION  TELEGRAPH  CO. 

INCORPORATED  

15,000  Offices  in  America  Cable  Service  to  all  the  World 

W.  H.  ARMISTEAD,  President  and  General  Manager 


Receiver's  No. 


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terms  or»  baclt  hereof,  which  are  hereby  agreed  to.  )        JJ^Pt^^^^y     XVidSB.,     dUXy    1,        1Q 


To_ 

Wm. 

M.  Brown  &  Co. 

fast 

New  York  City 

Ship 

freight  twenty  number 

sixty 

library 

tables 

Manning, 

Ball  & 

Co. 

D:^^READ  THE  NOTICE  AND  AGREEMENT  ON  BACK.=:C2 


d.  The  name  of  a  city,  town,  state,  or  Canadian  province,  or 
its   abbreviation. 

e.  Each  word  in  the  name  of  a  county  or  parish,  as  East  Carroll, 
La.  (three  words). 

/  Each  figure,  as  500  (three  words).  Notice  that  if  this  is  written 
Jive  hundred^  it  is  only  two  words. 

g.  Every  pronounceable  cipher  word.  A  cipher  word  of  more 
than  ten  letters  is  counted  as  two  words. 

h.  Every  abbreviation,  as  "  John  Bums,  Jr."  (three  words). 

Note.  Most  companies  allow  f.o.b.,  C.O.D.,  and  other  commercial 
abbreviations  to  be  counted  each  as  one  word. 


3S6  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

5.  Any  number  of  words  up  to  ten  is  sent  at  the  minimum 
standard  rate.  There  is  therefore  no  advantage  in  restricting 
a  telegram  to  less  than  ten  words. 

6.  No  charge  is  made  for  the  signature  of  the  sender  or  for 
the  name  and  address  of  the  person  who  is  to  receive  the  mes- 
sage. If  the  sender  adds  his  street  and  number,  a  charge  is 
made  for  such  addition. 

210.  Classification  of  telegrams.  There  are  six  kinds  of 
telegrams  : 

1 .  The  regular  day  message,  to  which  standard  rates  apply ;  that 
is,  a  fixed  rate  for  ten  words  or  less  and  an  extra  charge  for  each 
additional  word. 

2.  The  night  message,  which  is  sent  during  the  night  for  delivery 
the  morning  of  the  next  business  day. 

3.  The  night  letter,  which  is  transmitted  under  conditions  similar 
to  those  affecting  the  night  message. 

4.  The  day  letter,  which  is  handled  as  a  "  deferred  service  "  and  is 
not  allowed  to  interfere  with  regular  day  messages. 

5.  The  repeated  message,  which  is  a  message  telegraphed  back  to 
the  originating  office  for  comparison. 

6.  The  telegraphic  money  order,  in  which  the  telegraph  company 
transmits  money  for  the  sender. 

211.  The  cablegram.  Cablegrams  are  subject  to  rules  based 
upon  the  International  Telegraph  Regulations,  which  were  origi- 
nally drawn  up  in  Europe.  These  rules  differ  materially  from 
those  affecting  the  domestic  telegram  in  the  United  States. 

EXERCISE   1 

Put  into  a  telegram  of  not  more  than  ten  words  each  of  the 
following  groups  of  facts  : 

1.  I  will  be  at  the  North  Central  Station  at  five  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  next  Saturday.  Meet  me  and  bring  any  letters 
that  I  ought  to  see  without  delay. 

2.  I  cannot  very  well  come  to  Oldtown  until  Wednesday. 
Telegraph  me  if  the  delay  will  inconvenience  you  and  I  shall 
try  to  come. 


THE  TELEGRAPHIC  MESSAGE  357 

3.  We  will  pay  your  expenses  one  way  if  you  will  come  on 
Thursday  to  see  us  regarding  a  position  we  can  offer  you  as 
floor  superintendent  at  two  hundred  dollars  a  month. 

4.  Send  me  15  kegs  of  tenpenny  nails  by  fast  freight  and 
charge  to  my  account. 

5.  I  wish  you  to  countermand  my  order  for  one  carload 
of  wharf  pea  coal,  but  wish  to  have  sent  immediately  three 
carloads  of  nut  coal.    Charge  the  coal  to  my  account. 

EXERCISE  2 

Express  the  following  in  forms  suitable  for  telegrams.    Be 
careful  that  your  /meaning  is  clear. 

1.  I  cannot  accept  your  offer  of  a  position  unless  you  will 
give  me  a  contract  for  a  year.  I  will  not  accept  a  salary  of 
$100,  as  I  am  getting  $115  in  my  present  situation. 

2.  Please  send  to  me  at  once  by  telegraph  to  the  Washington 
County  Bank  $150,  and  charge  to  my  account. 

3.  F.  B.  Searles  and  Company  are  reported  in  town  as 
being  insolvent.  You  should  order  the  B.  &  P.  R.  R.  to  hold 
up  delivery  at  Chicago  of  our  shipment  of  goods  which  was 
forwarded  recently. 

EXERCISE  3 

Write  a  telegram  to  your  family,  telling  them  to  expect  you 
home  for  the  Christmas  vacation. 

EXERCISE  4 

Telegraph  to  your  father,  asking  his  permission  to  remain  in 
the  city  during  your  Easter  vacation. 

EXERCISE  5 

Send  a  message  to  the  father  of  your  roommate,  saying  that 

he  is  seriously  ill. 

EXERCISE  6 

Wire  to  Chicago  to  the Hotel,  asking  them  to  reserve 

a  room  for  you.    Be  specific. 


358  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXERCISE  7 

Send  a  telegram  to  Annie  L.  Smith,  14  Claibone  St.,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  telling  her  that  her  mother  has  just  left  your 
town  on  a  certain  train  and  is  due  to  arrive  in  De^  Moines  at 
a  certain  time. 

EXERCISE  8 

Write  the  telegrams  that  are  implied  in  the  following 
narrative : 

The  firm  of  Gordon  &  Co.  unexpectedly  find  themselves  in 
immediate  need  of  a  head  buyer  for  their  silk  department.  Mem- 
bers of  the  firm  know  personally  Henry  P.  Hardwicke,  who  is 
head  of  the  merchandise  department  of  a  large  store  in  another 
city.  Gordon  &  Co.  are  satisfied  that  Hardwicke  is  the  best  man 
they  know  for  the  position,  and  they  telegraph  to  him,  offering 
him  $2000.  Hardwicke  replies  that  he  is  unwilling  to  come  for 
less  than  $2500  and  a  two-year  contract.  Gordon  &  Co.  reply 
that  they  will  sign  a  contract  for  two  years,  giving  him  $2000 
the  first  year  and  $2500  the  second.  Hardwicke  accepts  this  offer. 

EXERCISE  9 

Order  by  telegram  the  merchandise  specified  in  the  letter  on 
page  234. 

EXERCISE  10 

1.  Write  a  telegram  on  any  ordinary  business  subject,  such 
as  an  order  for  merchandise,  the  cancellation  of  an  order,  or 
an  inquiry  concerning  a  delayed  shipment. 

2.  Pass  the  telegram  written  under  i  to  some  other  student 
and  prepare  a  telegraphic  reply  to  the  telegram  handed  to  you. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

REVIEWS  AND  TESTS 
TEST  1 

1.  Define  the  following  grammatical  terms,  giving  examples  of 
each  :  phrase^  subordinate  clause^  main  clause^  simple  sentence. 

2.  Rewrite  the  following  sentences,  making  them  grammatically 

correct. 

a.  I  do  not  know  who  you  mean. 

b.  The  students  had  already  began  their  test. 

c.  Yours  of  the  27th  to  hand  and  contents  noted. 

d.  Awaiting  a  favorable  reply,  Yours  truly,  J.  Doe. 

3.  Rewrite  the  following  sentences,  making  them  more  forcible. 

a.  Yours  of  the  27th  to  hand  and  contents  noted. 

b.  Awaiting  a  favorable  reply,  Yours  truly,  J.  Doe. 

c.  Having  noticed  your  ad.  in  the  paper,   I  wish  to  apply  for 
the  position. 

d.  Do  not  crowd  around  the  doors,  to  facilitate  the  movements  of 
our  employees, 

4.  Discuss  wherein  business  English  may  be  different  from  other 
kinds  of  English,  as  legal,  scientific,  sporting,  or  poetic  language. 
Discuss  also  wherein  the  various  kinds  of  English  are  alike. 

TEST  2 

1.  Explain  the  errors  in  the  following  sentences  and  rewrite  them 
correctly : 

a.  The  object  of  education  is  to  enable  a  person  to  use  what  he 
has  learned  in  his  life's  work. 

b.  Gross  weight  is  when  the  weight  of  the  merchandise  and  the 
weight  of  the  container  is  taken  together. 

2.  Explain  the  important  uses  of  shall  and  will   Give  examples. 

359 


36o  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

3.  Show  that  you  understand  what  is  meant  by  a  '*  dangling  parti- 
ciple ";  give  an  illustrative  example  and  explain  how  you  would  correct 
the  error. 

4.  Define  in  sentence  form  the  following  words  and  expressions. 
You  may  illustrate  definitions  by  examples. 

a.  ad  valorem  c.  letter  of  credit  e.  lady 

b.  below  par  d,  vocation  /  woman 

TEST  3 

1.  Comment  on  the  following  sentences,  correcting  them  where 
necessary : 

a.  While  waiting  for  my  change  at  the  counter,  a  fire  alarm  was 
sounded. 

b.  As  shorthand  is  said  to  have  been  invented  by  the  Romans, 
they  should  have  the  honor  of  giving  it  a  name. 

c.  He  had  two  ambitions,   the  first  of  which  was  a  desire  for 
money;  in  the  second  place  he  craved  power. 

2.  Discuss  emphasis  in  sentence  structure,  showing  how  emphasis 
may  be  obtained  and  what  elements  may  make  a  sentence  weak. 
Give  illustrations. 

3.  a.  Outline  the  principles  that  should  govern  the  making  of  a 
complaint. 

b.  Write  a  letter  of  complaint  to  represent  the  customer  in  the  fol- 
lowing instance :  A  man  purchased  a  cut-glass  set  at  McCarthy's 
New  York  store  and  asked  to  have  it  sent  by  express  to  another  city, 
where  he  was  to  attend  a  wedding.  When  the  set  arrived,  it  was 
found  that  one  of  the  pieces  was  broken.  The  buyer  was  particularly 
annoyed,  as  he  could  not  give  an  appropriate  wedding  gift.  He  believed 
that  it  was  evident  that  the  breakage  was  due  to  careless  packing. 

TEST  4 

I.  Point  out  the  errors  in  the  following  sentences  and  rewrite  them  : 

a.  I  object  to  him  working  that  way. 

b.  The  dean  told  the  secretary  that  his  letters  were  in  his  own  desk. 

c.  Whether  his  object  was  writing  for   pastime,  or  to  please  a 
friend,  or  money,  we  do  not  know. 


REVIEWS  AND  TESTS  361 

d.  He  asked  me  to  pay  the  note  and  if  I  had  the  blank  with  me. 

e.  Replying  to  your  favor  of  recent  date,  there  is  no  adjustment 
that  we  can  accept  on  your  account  due  except  immediate  payment 
of  the  same. 

2.  Define  and  give  examples  of  the  following: 

a.  synonym  b.  antonym  c,  homonym 

3.  Define  the  standard  by  which  you  decide  whether  or  not  an 
expression  is  accepted  as  being  in  good  use.  Give  your  grounds 
for  accepting  or  rejecting  the  following : 

a.  "  dictated  but  not  read  " 

b.  "  your  valued  favor  of  the  30th  ultimo  " 

c.  ^'  his  credit  is  O.K." 

d.  "  a  clever  chap  for  the  job  " 

e.  "  put  through  the  deal  and  wire  me  " 

4.  Name  and  define  the  three  fundamental  qualities  of  all  good 
expression. 

TEST  5 

1.  Write  in  a  column  the  words  in  the  selection  below.  Beside 
each  word  indicate  what  part  of  speech  it  is.  Similarly  indicate 
all  words  or  phrases  that  are  (a)  subjects  of  verbs;  (J?)  objects  of 
verbs ;  (c)  objects  of  prepositions. 

The  delay  in  your  shipment  is  an  unfortunate  occurrence.  We 
are  sincerely  sorry  for  it,  and  we  want  to  thank  you  for  notifying  us 
so  promptly.    We  will  trace  the  shipment  at  once. 

2.  a.  Make  clearer  by  improved  unity :  "  Coffee  is  a  harmless 
beverage.    That  is  when  it  does  not  contain  caffeine.'* 

b.  Make  clearer  by  improved  coherence  :  "  We  guarantee  each  and 
every  part  of  this  flexible  shaft  against  workmanship,  material,  and  to 
give  satisfactory  results." 

c.  Improve  structure  and  diction :  ''  We  beg  to  let  you  know  that 
as  we  are  now  manufacturing  kimonos  on  a  very  large  scale,  and  we 
have  reduced  the  prices  on  many  of  them." 

d.  Improve  for  emphasis  :  "  The  stockings  are  called  '  Everwear  ^' 
because  they  will  wear  a  long  time  before  there  are  any  holes  in  them." 

e.  Improve  for  emphasis  :  "  There  being  only  a  few  of  these  suits 
left,  we  are  selling  them  at  a  great  discount." 


362  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

3.  Using  the  following  as  a  topic  sentence,  develop  a  paragraph 
by  the  deductive  method :  "  As  a  reference  book  alone  Davis  and 
Lingham's  '  Business  English  and  Correspondence '  is  worth  its  price." 


TEST  6 

1.  Point  out  errors  in  the  following  sentences  and  rewrite  them : 
a.  New  York  is  larger  than  any  city  in  the  world. 

d.  The  great  event  is  when  the  train  arrives. 

c.  In  winter  the  clerks  suffer  from  cold  drafts  and  in  summer  the 
heat  is  suffocating. 

d.  An  athlete  must  possess  strength,  nerve,  and  be  able  to  think 
quickly. 

2.  Explain  the  fundamental  difference  between  the  errors  in  the 
two  sentences  given  below : 

a.  Those  kind  of  lamps  are  ugly. 

b.  The  two  twins  are  both  good  stenographers. 

3.  Name  the  four  fundamental  qualities  of  any  composition  and 
define  each. 

4.  Define  good  use  as  applied  to  words,  and  show  by  applying 
your  rules  that  you  can  decide  which  of  the  following  expressions  are 
justifiable  in  business  writing :  verily^  tell  the  worlds  ultimo^  sine  qua 
non,  boiled  down  (meaning  "  condensed,")  quite  a  bunchy  beg  to  state, 

TEST  7 

In  each  of  the  sentences  following  substitute  a  more  suitable  word 
for  and. 

1.  We  guarantee  satisfaction  and\i  you  are  not  satisfied  with  your 
purchase,  we  will  return  your  money. 

2.  I  have  lived  for  two  years  on  the  same  street  as  Williams  has 
and  have  not  yet  spoken  to  him. 

3.  There  are  no  railroad  giants  included  in  this  list,  and  it  is  my 
purpose  to  devote  a  separate  volume  to  them. 

4.  The  world  can  match  our  statesmen,  philosophers,  or  poets, 
and  no  other  nation  can  match  our  galaxy  of  doers. 

5.  I  hurried  up  to  Jim' s  room  and  found  that  he  was  not  there, 
and  it  was  evident  that  he  had  not  been  away  long. 


REVIEWS  AND  TESTS  363 

6.  There  may  be  luck  in  getting  a  good  job  and  there  is  no  luck 
in  keeping  it. 

7.  He  was  told  that  he  had  passed  in  algebra  and  had  failed  in 
plane  geometry. 

8.  He  never  was  much  of  a  talker  and  he  was  the  next  best  thing : 
he  was  a  good  listener. 

9.  He  had  to  work  every  day  outside  of  school  hours  and  he, 
nevertheless,  contrived  to  win  the  medal  for  the  best  scholarship  in 
the  fourth  year. 

TEST  8 

1.  Write  a  letter  of  application  in  reply  to  the  following  adver- 
tisement :  ' 

NEW  YORK  and  Boston  Stock  Exchange  house  desires  the 
services  of  a  young  man  over  1 8  ;  excellent  chance  for  advancement 
for  one  who  is  bright  and  ambitious ;  experience  unnecessary.  Apply 
only  by  letter  to  Drew  &  Co.,  S^  Devonshire  St.,  Toledo,  stating  age, 
education,  etc. 

Note.  Take  an  entire  sheet  for  this  answer.  Be  sure  that  the  letter  is 
complete  as  to  heading,  complimentary  address,  salutation,  complimentary 
close,  and  signature,  and  that  its  form  is  perfect. 

2.  Comment  on  the  beginnings  and  endings  of  letters.  In  the 
course  of  your  discussion  be  sure  to  speak,  among  other  things,  of 
(a)  first  impressions,  (d)  point  of  view,  (r)  the  you  attitude. 

3.  Write  a  short  theme  in  which  you  give  a  resume  of  the  last 
book  you  were  asked  to  read  outside  of  class. 


TEST  9 

1.  Define  unity  and  coherence  as  applied  to  a  paragraph,  showing 
that  you  understand  the  distinction  between  the  two  terms. 

2.  Answer  one  of  the  following  advertisements,  supposing  in  your 
letter  that  you  are  qualified  for  the  position. 

WANTED :  An  educated,  experienced,  refined  American  young 
lady  stenographer  and  general  office  assistant  in  editorial  office;  an 
unusual  opening  for  capable  person ;  salary  small  at  the  start ;  appli- 
cation must  be  in  own  handwriting,  stating  age,  education,  experi- 
ence, references,  and  salary  expected.  Address  V.G.N.,  SpringAeld 
Republican, 


364  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

WANTED :  A  good  accountant  with  some  knowledge  of  stenog- 
raphy to  assist  secretary  of  Cleveland  Chamber  of  Commerce  for 
three  months  with  promise  of  permanent  position  if  satisfactory ; 
young  man  of  good  appearance,  inclined  to  work,  with  business  office 
or  newspaper  experience  preferred ;  should  be  able  to  meet  city  men 
of  prominence ;  reply  in  own  handwriting,  stating  age,  pay  wanted, 
education ;  inclose  references,  give  details ;  all  letters  confidential. 
Address  X.  Y.Z.,  Cleveland  Plain  Dealer. 

TEST  10 

1.  Assume  that  you  are  proprietor  of  a  printing  concern  in  a  small 
town  where  rents  and  other  expenses  are  comparatively  low.  Outline 
a  series  of  letters  (one  first  letter  and  two  follow-up  letters)  designed 
to  secure  business  from  corporations  in  large  cities. 

2.  Outline  the  principles  governing  adjustments  and  write  an  ad- 
justment letter. 

3.  Oscar  Lapham  of  Minneapohs,  Minn.,  bought  of  Powers  & 
Jones,  Chicago,  III,  on  August  15,  a  piano  valued  at  $700.  The 
bill  was  to  be  paid  by  October  i.  Two  letters  have  already  been  sent 
to  Mr.  Lapham  by  Powers  &  Jones.  Write  a  letter  designed  to  collect 
the  account. 

TEST  11 

1.  For  the  benefit  of  a  student  who  has  never  seen  Davis  and 
Lingham's  "  Business  EngHsh  and  Correspondence,  Revised,"  describe, 
compare,  and  contrast  it  with  some  standard  work  of  a  more  general 
nature  on  composition  and  rhetoric. 

2.  Discuss  the  contents  and  essential  qualities  of  a  letter  of  appli- 
cation.   Write  such  a  letter  to  illustrate  your  remarks. 

3.  In  approximately  one  hundred  and  fifty  words  give  from  your 
standpoint  an  account  of  a  meeting  of  some  school  society  or  associ- 
ation. Make  your  picture  as  vivid  as  you  can  and  state  your  opinions 
frankly. 

4.  Criticize  the  expression  of  the  following  letter  and  rewrite  it : 

Answering  your  advertisement,  beg  to  advise  the  writer  is  in  the 
market  for  some  good  invention,  of  general  utility  to  manufacture 
and  market,  and  wish  you  would  please  mail  me  a  list  of  your  patents 
that  you  have  for  sale. 

Awaiting  your  reply,  I  am  very  respectfully, 


REVIEWS  AND  TESTS  365 

TEST  12 

1.  Comment  on  the  following  letter  and  rewrite  it 
Gentlemen: 

On  the  25th  you  say,   "Copy  mailed  today."     That 
copy  did  not  reach  me.     Mail  another. 

Yours  truly, 

2.  On  a  separate  page  answer,  in  correct  form,  the  following  letter, 
assuming  that  nobody  in  your  salesroom  remembers  what  goods 
Mr.  Alster  looked  at. 

American  Dry  Goods  Company 

Boston,   Mass. 
Gentlemen: 

I  guess  I'll  have  to  have  some  of  those  goods  you 
showed  me  when  I  was  in  Boston.     I  thought  I  could 
get  along  without  them,   but  business  is  picking  up, 
and  you  had  better  send  them  along.     Please  get 
them  here  soon,  as  I  want  them  for  Christmas  trade. 
Yours  truly, 

St.  Johnsbury,  Vt. 

3.  Write  the  plural  of  your  own  name  and  give  the  rule. 

4.  Differentiate  between  unity  and  coherence.  Show  how  unity 
may  be  obtained  or  violated  in  a  sentence. 

TEST  13 

1 .  Define  good  use  as  applied  to  words,  and  show  by  applying  your 
rules  that  you  can  decide  which  of  the  following  expressions  are  justi- 
fiable in  ordinary  business  writing  :  perchance^  not  on  your  life  ^proximo, 
esprit  de  corps ^  beg  to  advise^  most  ready,  thanking  you  in  advance. 

2.  Show  that  you  understand  the  following  expressions:  trite, 
parallel  structure,  periodic  sentence. 

3.  Write  a  letter  of  application  that  you  consider  suitable  for  the 
kind  of  position  you  could  hold.  Precede  the  letter  by  a  short 
explanatory  statement  regarding  the  position. 

4.  Discuss  emphasis  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  paragraph. 


366  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

5.  Point  out  anything  that  you  would  criticize  in  the  following 
letter.   Rewrite  it. 

James  A.  Ford  Company 

Boulder  City    .     .     .     Colorado 

June  21 
19  16 

The  Stenotile  Company 

Indianapolis,  Indiana 

Gentlemen: 

We  have  just  closed  the  first  year's  work  in  Steno- 
tily  in  this  school.   I  am  so  greatly  pleased  with 
the  result  of  this  work  that  I  feel  under  obliga- 
tions to  at  once  write  you  regarding  it. 

We  have  enrolled,  during  the  school  year,  an  aggre- 
gate of  twenty-eight  students  in  Stenotily  and  were 
limited  on  account  of  the  number  of  machines.  It 
was  largely  an  experiment  and  we  felt  as  though  we 
should  be  conservative  until  its  value  can  be  thor- 
oughly demonstrated.  This  has  now  been  done  to  our 
complete  satisfaction. 

The  Stenotile  students  have  worked  during  the  same 
periods  and  under  the  same  circumstances  and  with 
the  same  instructor  as  the  Stenography  students; 
the  conditions  surrounding  the  two  classes  has  been 
substantially  the  same  and  yet  the  progress  of  the 
classes  in  stenotily  over  that  of  Stenography  has 
been  marked. 

So  very  pleased  are  we  with  the  results  attending 
this  work,  that  we  have  made  a  requisition  for 
double  the  number  of  machines  for  next  year's  work 
which  will  permit  of  a  much  larger  enrollment. 

Knowing  that  you  will  be  glad  that  we  are  not  only 
satisfied,  but  greatly  pleased  with  Stenotily  in 
our  school,  I  remain 

Sincerely  yours 


REVIEWS  AND  TESTS  367 

THE  DAY'S  WORK 

As  a  preparation  for  writing  the  exercises  which  follow,  you  are  to 
suppose  that  you  are  connected  with  some  firm.  Write  a  definite 
statement,  giving  the  name  of  the  firm,  the  business,  the  location 
(town  or  city  and  state),  your  position,  etc. 

1.  Write  a  letter,  asking  an  applicant  for  a  position  to  call  at  a 
certain  time. 

2.  Order  by  telegram  a  consignment  of  goods. 

3.  Write  a  letter,  canceling  an  order  for  merchandise. 

4.  Write  a  letter  addressed  to  a  valued  customer  who  has  failed 
to  reply  to  a  request  for  payment  of  an  overdue  account. 

5.  Write  to  a  firm  with  whom  you  have  had  no  business  dealings, 
asking  quotations  on  merchandise  which  you  wish  to  buy.  Would 
you  give  references? 

6.  Write  to  your  representative  in  another  state,  asking  him  to 
collect  an  overdue  account  from  a  delinquent  buyer. 

7.  Prepare  for  a  newspaper  an  advertisement  of  a  special  sale. 

8.  Telegraph  to  a  distant  city,  asking  a  firm  to  send  you  by 
express  a  small  but  valuable  consignment. 

9.  Write  to  a  firm,  complaining  about  the  condition  of  goods  that 
you  have  received  from  them.  You  have  once  before  had  similar 
trouble  with  this  firm. 

10.  Write  to  a  manufacturer,  stating  that  you  wish  to  acquire  in 
your  vicinity  the  sole  agency  for  his  goods. 


368  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  IN  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

From  Recent  Examinations  prepared  by  the  University  of  the 
State  of  New  York  and   Commonly   Known  as  the  Regents' 

Examinations 


Answer  questions  i  and  2  and  six  of  the  others 

1.  You  are  interested  in  the  sale  of  {a)  a  new  pencil  with  metal 
case  in  which  fillers  of  lead  are  carried ;  (<^)  a  typewriter  of  standard 
make;  (c)  a  chocolate  almond  bar;  {d)  a  magazine  dealing  with 
business. 

a.  Select  one  of  the  above  and  arrange  in  outline  form  the  points 
you  would  use  in  writing  a  sales  argument. 

b.  Supplying  the  necessary  data,  write  a  letter  based  on  the  outline 
that  you  have  prepared  in  answer  to  a. 

m 

2.  Answer  both  a  and  b. 

a.  Mention  three  principles  that  enter  into  the  composition  of  a 
good  collection  letter. 
/  b.  Theodore  Smith  &  Sons,  69  Walpole  St.,   Rochester,  N.  Y., 

bought  from  you  a  bill  of  goods  the  payment  for  which  is  now  three 
weeks  overdue.  Ten  days  ago  you  submitted  a  statement  of  their 
account  and  called  their  attention  to  the  indebtedness.  No  reply  has 
been  received.    Write  them  a  suitable  letter. 

3.  Criticize  the  following  sentences  and  write  them  in  correct  form  : 

a.  The  machine  which  you  use  for  copying  your  letters  is  inadequate 
to  the  needs  of  your  establishment,  failing  to  copy  quickly  enough, 
and  it  renders  the  department  inefficient  by  preventing  it  from  turning 
out  a  sufficient  amount  of  work. 
•       b.  In  your  letter  it  says  you  will  be  here  on  the  loth. 

c.  We  use  only  the  best  materials  obtainable,  but  our  sales  during 
the  past  year  have  increased. 

4.  Draw  up  a  suitable  form  letter,  outlining  the  quahfications  of 
the  graduates  of  the  commercial  course  in  your  school.  This  letter 
is  to  be  written  so  as  to  interest  business  men  and  induce  them  to 
employ  those  who  finish  the  course. 


REVIEWS  AND  TESTS  369 

5.  Explain  four  of  the  following  business  expressions:  (a)  turn- 
over, (<^)  assets,  (c)  to  meet  an  obligation,  (^)  to  postdate  a  bill,  (e)  to 
buy  on  margin,  (/)  the  check  was  raised,  (g)  price  is  94  with  accrued 
interest. 

6.  You  are  secretary  to  the  advertising  manager  of  the  Elmira 
Chronicle^  a  weekly  publication  of  72  pages  with  a  circulation  of 
15,000.  Duncan  &  Co.,  manufacturing  jewelers,  350  Fifth  Ave., 
New  York  City,  write  asking  for  particulars  about  your  publication 
with  a  view  to  advertising  in  it.  They  want  to  know  how  often  it  is 
issued,  the  number  of  pages,  its  circulation,  and  the  advertising  rates. 
As  requested  by  your  employer,  write  the  letter  inclosing  a  printed 
card  with  advertisiijg  rates. 

7.  Explain  the  difference  in  meaning  between  the  words  in  each  of 
four  of  the  following  groups :  {a)  complimentary,  complementary ; 
(p)  eminent,  prominent;  {c)  advise,  advice;  ((T)  plaintiff,  plaintive; 
(J)  recent,  resent ;  (/)  eligible,  legible. 

8.  Write  the  correct  salutation  in  addressing  a  letter  to  {a)  John 
White  and  Richard  Thomas,  partners;  (b)  The  Independent  Paper 
Company ;  {c)  Miss  Lillian  Arch ;  {d)  Miss  Ray  Bonwit  and  Miss 
Frances  Teller,  partners  in  a  tailoring  business ;  {e)  Mr.  James  Brown 
and  Miss  Ellen  Jones,  conducting  a  stationery  business. 

9.  Write  the  proofreader's  mark  for  {a)  dele,  (p)  capital  letter, 
(c)  italics,  (d)  let  it  stand,  (e)  small  letter,  (/)  insert  apostrophe. 

B 

Group  I.    Answer  questio?i  i  and  two  other  questions  from  this  group 

1.  Answer  either  a  or  b. 

a.  Write  a  theme  of  about  200  words  on  one  of  the  following 

topics : 

(1)  The  selection  of  an  advertising  medium. 

(2)  The  use  of  the  trade  acceptance. 

(3)  How  to  attract  trade  to  your  store. 

(4)  Assistance  of  the  newspaper  to  a  business  man. 

(5)  How  to  make  a  bank  deposit. 

b.  As  file  clerk,  write  a  report  to  your  employer,  recommending  a 
change  in  your  filing  system. 

2.  In  reply  to  your  request  for  a  remittance,  Williams  &  Co., 
325  Main  Ave.,  Kingston,  N.  Y.,  have  written  offering  to  give  you  their 


370  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

check  for  $1250  for  one  half  of  the  amount  due  and  their  60-day 
note  for  the  balance.  This  account  is  now  two  months  overdue,  and 
you  do  not  feel  that  you  can  accept  this  arrangement.  Write  a  letter 
to  Williams  &  Co.,  refusing  this  plan  and  returning  the  note. 

3.  Write  a  letter  of  application  for  a  position  with  the  Empire 
Manufacturing  Company,  516  Ellicott  St.,  Buffalo,  N.Y.  You  do  not 
know  that  a  vacancy  exists  with  this  company,  but  you  feel  that  you 
would  like  to  be  associated  with  the  firm,  and  you  take  this  means  of 
getting  your  name  and  qualifications  before  them. 

4.  WVite  a  circular  letter  advertising  an  electric  washing  ma- 
chine. This  letter  is  to  be  sent  to  housewives  who  advertise  for 
laundresses. 

Group  II.    Answer  five  questions  from  this  group 

5.  Explain  the  meaning  of  each  oifive  of  the  following : 

a.  The  price  of  the  lot  is  $25  a  front  foot. 

b.  A  personal  application  is  required. 

c.  We  can  book  your  order  now  for  May  delivery. 

d.  The  new  transportation  company  has  been  granted  a  franchise. 

e.  This  is  to  confirm  our  telegram  of  yesterday  in  which  we  ordered 
four  standard  desks. 

f.  We  have  a  two-day  option  on  the  house. 

g.  We  have  carried  this  company  as  long  as  we  can. 

6.  Rewrite  the  following  in  good  business  style : 

a.  In  reply  to  yours  of  the  loth  inst.,  we  beg  leave  to  state  that 
we  are  unable  to  fill  your  order  for  60  days. 

b.  Having  seen  your  ad.  in  the  Times-Standard^  I  beg  to  be  con- 
sidered an  applicant  for  the  position. 

c.  Would  request  that  you  kindly  give  your  prompt  attention  to 
this  matter. 

d.  Yours  received  and  contents  noted. 

e.  Hoping  to  hear  from  you  by  return  mail,  I  remain 

7.  As  a  retail  dealer  in  ofiice  equipment,  write  a  letter  to  C.  H. 
Appleton  &  Co.,  Buffalo,  N.Y.,  wholesale  dealers,  or dmng  five  arti- 
cles and  stating  what  arrangements  you  can  make  for  settlement. 
Specify  also  how  the  goods  are  to  be  shipped. 

8.  In  five  of  the  following  sentences,  substitute  more  exact  words 
for  those  in  italics  : 


REVIEWS  AND  TESTS  371 

a.  He  has  a  m'ce  position  with  that  company. 

if.  Send  him  a  couple  of  those  circulars. 

c.  This  is  a  sample  of  my  best  penmanship. 

^.  The  report  shows  a  deficiency  of  $  1 00. 

^.  The  admittance  to  the  game  was  50^. 

f.  The  terms  are  25%  off  of  \he  price  list. 

g.  The  lawyer  sent  an  invoice  for  his  services. 

h.  He  was  given  the  alternative  of-  becoming  chief  clerk,  going 
into  the  accounting  department,  or  joining  the  sales  force. 

9.  Answer  either  a  or  b. 

a.  Write  the  copy  for  a  display  advertisement  in  your  local  news- 
paper, announcing  a  special  sale  of  trunks,  suit  cases,  traveling  bags, 
and  brief  cases.  ' 

b.  Supplying  the  details,  write  the  copy  for  a  classified  advertise- 
ment for  the  sale  of  a  modem  city  house. 

10.  Your  employer,  S.  J.  Dixon,  directs  you  to  wire  Mr.  C.  E. 
Hayes,  297  Madison  Ave.,  New  York  City,  that  he  will  meet  Mr.  Hayes 
at  Hotel  Pennsylvania  at  three  o'clock  on  Friday  afternoon  to  discuss 
the  program  for  the  next  meeting  of  the  association.  Write  the 
telegram. 


APPENDIX  A 

POSTAL  INFORMATION 

Sources  of  information.  The  Post-Office  Department  of  the  United 
States  issues  a  pamphlet  containing  ''  general  information  upon  sub- 
jects relating  to  the  Postal  Service.  It  is  published  for  the  use  and 
guidance  of  the  public  and  is  free  for  distribution."  Every  student 
should  apply  at  his  post  office  for  one  of  these  pamphlets  and  make 
a  careful  study  of  the  contents. 

A  copy  of  the  "  United  States  Postal  Guide  "  is  kept  on  file  at 
most  post  offices,  and  may  be  consulted  by  the  general  public. 

With  detailed  information  thus  available  we  need  give  only  the 
briefest  outline  of  the  functions  of  the  Post-Office  Department,  and 
a  resume  of  some  of  the  information  for  which  there  is  common  use.^ 

Classification.  The  business  of  the  postal  service  may  be  broadly 
classified  under  five  heads  : 

1.  The  post  office  proper,  for  the  handling  of  ordinary  mail  matter; 
that  is,  of  the  first,  second,  third,  or  fourth  class. 

2.  The  money-order  department,  for  the  selling  and  cashing  of  money 
orders. 

3.  The  registry  department,  for  the  greater  security  of  valuable  mail 
matter. 

4.  The  postal  savings  system,  for  the  receiving  of  deposits  in  a  manner 
similar  to  that  of  a  savings  bank,  with  the  added  security  of  the  United 
States  government  for  payment. 

5.  The  parcel-post  department,  for  the  handling  of  packages  larger  than 
are  ordinarily  sent  by  mail,  which  are  to  be  transmitted  to  any  part  of  the 
United  States  or  its  possessions,  or  to  certain  foreign  countries.  (Parcel- 
post  matter  constitutes  the  fourth  class.) 

1  "  The  World  Almanac  and  Encyclopedia,"  published  annually,  gives 
authoritative  and  comprehensive  information,  which  has  been  revised  by  the 
Post-Office  Department. 

373 


374  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

DOMESTIC  MAIL  MATTER 

Classification  and  rates  of  postage.  Domestic  mail  matter  includes 
mail  for  delivery  within  the  United  States  and  its  dependencies,  includ- 
ing Porto  Rico,  the  Philippines,  and  the  Canal  Zone.  First-class  matter 
includes  written  and  sealed  matter,  postal  cards,  and  private  mailing 
cards.  The  rate  for  letters  is  two  cents  for  each  ounce  or  fraction 
thereof.  The  rate  for  single  postal  cards  and  private  cards  is  one 
cent.  The  limit  of  weight  is  seventy  pounds  for  local  or  first,  second, 
or  third  zone ;  fifty  pounds  in  other  zones.  Second-class  matter  (un- 
sealed) includes  newspapers  and  periodicals  when  sent  by  other  than 
publisher  or  agent ;  the  rate  is  one  cent  for  each  two  ounces  or  fraction 
thereof.  Copies  of  newspapers  or  periodical  publications  must  be 
complete.  There  is  no  limit  of  weight.  Third-class  matter  (unsealed) 
includes  miscellaneous  printed  matter,  for  which  the  rate  is  one  and 
one-half  cents  for  each  two  ounces  or  fraction  thereof,  and  books, 
catalogues,  seeds,  bulbs,  and  plants,  for  which  the  rate  is  one  cent 
for  every  two  ounces  or  fraction  thereof.  The  limit  of  weight  is  eight 
ounces.  Fourth-class  matter^  or  domestic  parcel  post  ^  now  includes  gen- 
eral merchandise,  farm  and  factory  products,  books,  etc.  in  packages 
of  limited  dimensions,  exceeding  eight  ounces  but  not  exceeding  sev- 
enty pounds  in  weight  within  the  first  three  zones  and  fifty  pounds 
for  all  other  zones.   The  rates  vary  with  weight  and  distances. 

Special  delivery.  For  an  additional  fee  of  ten  cents  or  over,  varjdng 
according  to  weight,  for  each  letter  or  parcel,  including  packages  sent 
by  parcel  post,  special  delivery  may  be  had ;  that  is,  upon  arriving  at 
the  nearest  post  office  to  the  addressee  the  letter  or  package  will  be 
delivered  at  once  by  special  messenger. 

Special  handling.  For  an  additional  fee,  ranging  from  ten  cents  to 
twenty  cents  according  to  weight,  fourth-class  matter  will  receive  the 
same  attention  as  first-class  matter. 

Air  mail.  The  charge  for  air  mail  is  five  cents  for  the  first  ounce 
and  ten  cents  for  each  additional  ounce  or  fraction  thereof. 

Registry  system.  For  an  additional  fee  of  fifteen  cents  or  over, 
varying  according  to  value,  for  each  letter  or  parcel,  not  including 
packages  sent  by  parcel  post,  special  care  in  the  transit  and  delivery 
of  matter  is   guaranteed,   and,  if  desired,  a  return  receipt  or  an 


APPENDIX  A  375 

acknowledgment  of  delivery  signed  by  the  receiver  may  be  returned 
to  the  sender.  The  amount  recoverable  from  the  government  in  case 
of  loss  is  limited  to  $1000. 

Insurance.  Third-class  and  fourth-class  mail  may  be  insured  against 
loss,  rifling,  or  damage  in  an  amount  equivalent  to  its  actual  value, 
varying  from  $5  for  a  fee  of  five  cents  up  to  $100  for  a  fee  of 
twenty-five  cents. 

Money-order  system.  This  system  offers  a  safe,  cheap,  and  con- 
venient method  of  making  remittances  by  mail.  Money  orders  are 
issued  in  varying  amounts  from  one  cent  to  $100,  and  as  many  orders 
as  desired  may  be  obtained.  Money  orders  may  be  secured  at  the 
local  post  office  or,  from  the  rural  carrier. 

Postal  savings  system.  This  provides  country-wide  facilities  for 
depositing  savings,  at  interest,  with  the  United  States  government 
as  security.  Any  person  ten  years  of  age  or  over  may  become  a 
depositor.  Deposits  are  accepted  from  individuals  only.  No  account 
can  be  opened  for  less  than  $1.  Simple  interest  is  allowed  at  the  rate 
of  two  per  cent  for  each  full  year  that  the  money  remains  on  deposit, 
beginning  with  the  first  day  of  the  month  following  the  one  in  which 
the  deposit  is  made.  No  person  is  permitted  to  have  a  balance  to 
his  credit  of  more  than  $2500,  exclusive  of  accumulated  interest 

FOREIGN  MAIL  MATTER 
In  general,  mail  matter  sent  to  foreign  countries  is  subject  to  the 
rules  and  regulations  of  those  countries.  Almost  all  countries  are  in 
the  Postal  Union,  and  have  adopted  certain  regulations  regarding  the 
treatment  of  foreign  mail  that  apply  throughout  most  of  the  world. 
Thus,  undelivered  mail  of  the  first  class  is  returned  to  the  sender; 
mail  upon  which  insufficient  postage  has  been  paid  is  subject  to 
double  rates;  registered  mail  is  handled  with  special  care;  and  any 
mail  may  be  opened  if  it  seems  to  contain  dutiable  matter. 


APPENDIX  B 

PROOFREADING 

Since  a  business  man  is  likely  to  have  much  of  his  advertising  and 
circular  matter  printed,  it  is  well  for  him  to  be  able  to  correct  proof 
by  means  of  the  ordinary  signs  used  by  printers.  There  is  considerable 
variation  among  printers  in  regard  to  some  of  the  signs  employed. 
Those  given  on  the  next  page  are  in  practically  universal  use. 

In  making  a  correction  two  signs  are  employed :  one  in  the  body 
of  the  proof,  to  call  attention  to  the  exact  place  where  the  change  is 
to  be  made ;  the  other  on  the  margin  of  the  proof  sheet,  to  tell  the 
printer  what  change  is  made.  The  main  thing,  however,  is  to  make 
your  correction  so  that  the  printer  will  understand  it.  Write  out  your 
correction  if  you  think  it  cannot  be  made  plain  in  any  other  way.  Fre- 
quently proofreaders  draw  a  line  from  the  symbol  in  the  margin  to 
the  place  in  the  body  of  the  text  where  the  correction  is  to  be  made. 

Where  several  words  require  a  different  order,  the  words  are  num- 
bered in  correct  order  and  necessary  directions  given  in  the  margin. 

If  a  number  of  words  have  been  left  out  of  a  line,  write  them  at 
the  most  convenient  place  in  the  margin  and  draw  a  line  from  them 
to  the  place  where  they  are  to  be  inserted.  A  caret  may  be  used  to 
mark  this  omission. 

The  proofreader's  marks  which  are  found  on  the  following  page  by 
no  means  represent  all  that  are  used.  They  are  the  ones,  however, 
which  are  most  commonly  required  for  making  ordinary  corrections. 
These  marks  may  appear  difficult  at  first,  but  they  are  really  simple, 
and,  with  a  little  practice,  may  be  handled  with  ease.  If  you  will  prac- 
tice correcting  your  own  compositions  and  letters  by  means  of  these 
symbols,  you  will  become  not  only  proficient  in  their  use  but  also  alert 
to  some  of  your  own  deficiencies. 

376 


APPENDIX  B 

377 

Some  Marks  used  by  Proofreaders 

«/?  Take  X  out 

Take  out  (dele) 

^   the  clerk*s  judgment 

Take  out  and  close  up 

C^  at  any  ppiee 

Substitute 

Ct^:,,^  First^Bank 

Insert 

Tfc-.     a(§al^argaiR 

Transpose 

i'f^A    the  electric  car 

Put  in  italic 

QM.^  NEW  YORLpITY 
J  O.    NEW  YORK  CITY 

Put  in  capitals 

Put  in  small  capitals 

/  ^      Norton  TRUST  Company 

Lower  case 

^     at  an  end;^The  new  company 

Begin  a  new  paragraph 

O     The  sale  was  over 

Insert  period 

?/  Chicagc/Ill 
.^PQ^  the  ^catcpt  game 

Substitute  comma 

Retain  matter  crossed  out 

/T    C  the  advertising  department 

Move  to  the  left 

7    a  commission  house             -7 

Move  to  the  right 

^^)  Smith's  Champion  Brand 
^  ^      a  run  on  the  bank.^;^ 

Set  in  heavyfaced  ty-pe 

No  paragraph 

^  ^    c:^Moreover  this 

([)     58<f  per  yard 

Is  this  right? 

^'^^the  third  da^j^^he  week 
^    /  a  Baldwin  apple 

Matter  omitted 
Reverse  letter 

:^      an  electric^ar 

More  space 

^      the  street  railway 

Close  up 

vV^    the^Champion^Brand 
jTirn       a  cashier's  check 

Insert  quotation  marks 

Straighten  letters  on  line 

Suggestions  for  Exercises 

1.  From  time  to  time  students  may  be  required  to  correct  each 
other's  written  work  by  the  use  of  the  marks  given  above. 

2.  The  members  of  a  class  may  be  asked  to  prepare  exercises  to 
be  exchanged  and  corrected  as  "  proof." 

EXERCISE  1 
Rewrite  the  proof  sheet  given  on  the  following  page,  making  all 
the  corrections  called  for. 


378  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

A  Proof  marked  for  Correction 

An  American  child  would  hav^o  t^*  a  long  #-  '^• 

journey  if  he  wished  to  trace  t\)^  wheat  which  he  -^Z 
Ca^'     ^^^^  ^^  ^^^  bread.  j)erhaps  he  would  have  to  go  to      ^ 

/ti/:    Dakota  to /l^se^ planted,  and  if  he  watch^  the  /^/ 

whole  process  of  reaping  and  harvesting^he  might  y     ^ 
have  to  ride  many  miles  from^farmhouse  where  he      '^^^n^/ 
^     was  staying.   Then  it  wouTd  be  necessary  to  follow 
J^;/^  Ato  the  local  market,  and  next,  perhaps^to  Chicago      y/yO^- 

/  /i/  and  /nto  the  elevator.  _:z>  ^     ^  ^ 
C^0  ^/      Cl^Y  that  he  might  go^the  wheat  on  a  train  to      Prt^^ 
CaJ>./J^   New  York  ^\\y,  follow  it  to  the^ill,  then  to  b     /^.  C.  / ^ 
^'  ^V?     wholesale  establishgmenj^hen  to  the  retail/ store,      7/         a 
^^        ;2i<    t^^^  to  t^'^e  bakery, Ohen/^ii^  to(smalj/tfi?  grocery     ^/Ou, 
£,C  /  Xt/   ^^^^^  his  Family  bought  there  bread.    Finallw  he 
/    ^        would  ride  to  his  homeland  so  would  arrive  alon'g 
n^.  with  the  wh^  which  he  saw  planted  hundreds  of 


^^/  mil^  away.  —  Keller  and   Bishop,  yTndustriaQand 
/  ^ommerciaiyGeoeraDhv  "  "" 


(tJommercial/Geographv 


l/ZDV  P^At^   c(ji^&^*^xA>>^   Tyc 


EXERCISE  2 

Copy  the  following  selection  and  correct  it  by  reference  to  the  letter 
on  page  301.  Use  proofreader's  marks  for  each  correction.  Rewrite 
the  selection,  making  the  corrections  indicated  by  the  signs. 

usually  the  Furniture  which  I  buy  of  your  house  comes  in  good 
order  but  the  lasj  lot,  your  invoice  No.  8963  was  in  bad  shake.  Chif- 
fonier No.  3881  was  scratched  and  the  glass  was  broken.  A  legs  one 
on  of  the  chairs  wa  cracked  and  the  leather  on  couch  No.  617  was 
scratched,  where  the  finish  on  the  whole  was  not  upto  the  standard. 
A  part  of  tHis  furniture  I  had  sold  to  one  op  my  very  best  customers 
on  the  Coast  from  the  description  given  in  your  catalogue ;  and  he  is 
impatiently  awaiting  its  arrival. 

You  can  therefore  imagin  that  I  am  not  in  a  happy  state  of  mind, 
perhaps  the  rail  road  company  is  responsible  for  the  breakes  and 
acatches,  but  it  looks  to  me  s  if  your  packer  were  at  fault  while  the 
poor  finish  is  up  to  you.  I  am  writing  to  you  personally  for  I  know 
that  you  will  give  me  your  immediate  attention.  Wire  at  once  letting 
us  know  what  you  are  going  to  do  about  it. 


APPENDIX  C 

FILING  CORRESPONDENCE 


The  large  number  of  papers  that  are  a  part  of  modern  business, 
and  the  necessity  for  frequent  and  sure  reference  to  such  papers,  has 
created  the  filing  problem. 

Accuracy  of  filing  is  absolutely  necessary,  for  there  must  be  no 
likelihood  of  loss  through  misplacement.    Then  every  paper  should  be 


where  it  can  be  quickly  found,  as  dispatch  in  business  is  important 
In  addition,  economy  of  time  must  be  considered  in  the  placmg  of 
papers  in  the  files,  as  must  also  economy  of  space,  for  each  year  the 
filing  cabinets  occupy  more  room. 

Fundamentally,  all  filing  systems  are  based  on  the  fact  that  eveiy- 
one  knows  the  regular  order  of  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  and  the 
regular  order  of  the  cardinal  numbers  (i,  2,  3,  etc.). 

379 


38o 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


A  city  directory  illustrates  the  alphabetical  arrangement  of  facts. 
In  the  enormous  directory  of  any  large  city  there  are  many 
thousands  of  names,  but  one  can  easily  find  information  about 
any  person  by  simply  looking  for  the  name  in  alphabetical  order. 


In  books  in  which  the  matter  is  not  arranged  alphabetically,  the 
subjects  are  given  alphabetically  in  the  index,  with  references  to  the 
pages  where  they  are  treated.  An  effective  filing  system  is  as 
necessary  to  most  businesses  as  is  a  good  index  to  most  books. 


APPENDIX  C  38  f 

Classification.  Fundamentally,  filing  systems  are  of  two  kinds: 
alphabetic  and  numeric. 

In  the  alphabetic  system  the  letters  or  other  records  to  be  preserved 
are  placed  in  files  arranged  according  to  the  sequence  of  letters  in  the 
alphabet.  In  other  words,  the  records  are  arranged  alphabetically,  as  are 
the  words  in  a  dictionary.  In  the  numeric  system  the  files  are  arranged 
according  to  the  sequence  of  the  cardinal  numbers  (i,  2,  3,  etc.). 

In  addition  to  these  two  systems  there  are  various  others,  such  as 
those  that  combine  both  the  alphabetic  and  numeric  features  or  are 
arranged  topically,  geographically,  etc. 

1 .  A  direct  alphabetic  correspondence  filing  system  is  illustrated  on 
page  379.    Such  a  hie  usually  contains  only  names  of  persons  and  firms. 

2.  A  numeric  correspondence  fil- 
ing system  is  illustrated  on  page  380. 
In  such  a  system  persons,  firms, 
and  subjects  (such  as  Applications 
for  Employment)  are  each  given 
a  number,  and  in  an  alphabetically 
arranged  card  catalogue  (the  index) 
is  recorded  the  name  of  every  per- 
son, group  of  persons,  or  subject 

filed,  with  the  number  under  which  the  corresponding  papers  are  filed. 
Large  envelopes  or  folders  are  used,  in  which  are  placed  the  papers 
belonging  to  one  person  or  subject.   These  folders  are  arranged  alpha- 
betically in  the  first  system  and  numerically  in  the  second. 

The  routine.  The  routine  of  one  of  the  most  effective  systems  m  use 
maybe  described  as  follows:  all  original  letters  etc.,  with  their  mclo- 
sures  and  carbon  copies  of  the  replies,  if  any,  are  brought  daily  to  a  table 
to  be  distributed  by  the  filing  clerk.  Conveniently  placed  at  her  left 
is  a  cabinet  containing  a  card  index.  Each  card  has  written  on  it  the 
name  of  some  correspondent,  and  these  names  are  filed  alphabetically. 

Aborn,  A.  L.,  96 

Adams,  D.W.,  13 

Adams,  Samuel,  932 
The  number  at  the  right  indicates  the  number  of  the  folder  in  which 
letters  to  or  from  the  persons  whose  names  appear  are  to  be  placed. 


382  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

The  clerk  takes  each  letter  or  whatever  it  may  be,  and,  after  ref- 
erence to  the  card  index,  writes  upon  the  letter  always  in  a  certain 
place  (for  example,  the  upper  right-hand  comer)  a  number  showing 
the  folder  in  which  it  is  to  be  placed.  Experienced  clerks  can,  without 
referring  to  the  index,  recall  the  numbers  assigned  to  the  mail  of  large 
correspondents. 

Only  persons,  firms,  and  others,  with  whom  there  is  regular  cor- 
respondence have  numbered  folders  reserved  for  their  communica- 
tions, and  consequently  have  their  names  in  the  card  index. 

Letters  from  occasional  correspondents  are  filed  in  appropriately 

lettered  folders ;  for  example, 
Aa-Ab  Bel-Bem 

Ac- Ad  Ben- Bey 

Baa-Bah        Bua-Bul 

Thus,  a  letter  from  John  L. 
Bemis,  who  writes  only  occa- 
sionally, would  be  filed  in  the 
section  lettered  Bel-Bem. 

When  all  the  correspondence 
for  the  day  has  been  properly 
numbered,  it  is  placed  in  a  dis- 
tributing file  ;  for  example,  all 
letters  numbered  from  i  to  loo  in  the  first  section,  those  from  loi 
to  200  in  a  second  section,  and  so  on,  the  unnumbered  letters  being 
grouped  in  a  lettered  distributor. 

Aa-Al  Ba-Bay 

Am-Az  Bea-Ber 

The  correspondence  being  thus  partly  sorted,  it  is  a  simple  matter 
for  the  clerk  to  distribute  the  letters  in  chronological  order  in  the 
permanent  file.  Usually  at  the  beginning  of  the  year,  but  varying  in 
frequency  according  to  the  demand  for  space  in  the  filing  cabinet,  the 
correspondence  in  the  permanent  file  is  transferred  bodily  to  boxes  of 
convenient  size,  each  box  being  numbered,  consecutively,  1-3,  4-10, 
II,  12-25,  26-40,  etc.,  or  A-Al,  Am-Az,  etc. 

These  boxes  are  placed  in  orderly  sequence  on  shelves  in  a  store- 
room or  vault.    As  the  file  number  of  any  given  correspondent  is 


APPENDIX  C  383 

always  the  same  (or,  if  any  change  is  made,  such  change,  with  the 
date,  is  indicated  in  the  card  catalogue),  to  refer  to  the  letters  etc.  of 
any  correspondent  for  any  given  period  of  time  is  always  a  simple 
matter. 

EXERCISE  I  — Oral 

Explain  what  you  mean  by  ''  subject  filing  "  and  show  how  it  could 
be  applied  to  some  business  with  which  you  are  familiar. 

EXERCISE  2  — Oral 

Explain  how  you  could  use  an  alphabetic  filing  system  to  keep  all 
the  corrected  wri^en  work  prepared  by  your  class  in  their  studies. 

EXERCISE  3  — Oral 

Explain  how  you  would  proceed  to  arrange  for  your  school  a 
filing  list  in  which  a  record  of  everything  concerning  each  pupil,  such 
as  attendance,  standing  in  scholarship,  written  examinations,  written 
class  work  left  permanently  with  the  teacher,  rewritten  work,  written 
work  returned  to  the  student,  etc.,  would  be  filed  or  recorded  so  as 
to  be  readily  accessible. 

Note.  The  illustrations  in  this  chapter  are  reproduced  through  the 
courtesy  of  the  Library  Bureau. 


APPENDIX  D 

GRAMMATICAL  SUPPLEMENT 

This  supplement  is  especially  designed  to  be  used  in  connection  with  the  second 
part  of  the  chapter  on  grammar.  It  is  derived  in  part  from  the  "  Report  of  the 
Joint  Committee  on  Grammatical  Nomenclature,"  appointed  by  the  National 
Education  Association,  the  Modern  Language  Association  of  America,  and 
the  American  Philological  Association.  In  some  respects  the  terms  recom- 
mended by  these  associations  differ  from  those  more  commonly  known  and  of 
older  usage.    Such  differences  as  seem  important  are  noted  in  the  text  below. 

There  is  considerable  variation  in  grammatical  nomenclature.  For 
example,  the  word  good  in  "  John  is  good'^  is  variously  called  attribu- 
tive complement^  predicate  adjective^  subject  complement,  complement  of 
intransitive  verb,  predicate  attribute,  and  adjective  attribute.  The  ex- 
pression that  some  grammarians  call  a  subordinate  clause  others 
name  a  dependent  clause. 

In  addition,  some  of  the  grammatical  classifications  are  not  mutu- 
ally exclusive.  Thus,  the  sentence  "  Please  walk  more  slowly  "  is  often 
said  to  be  an  imperative  sentence.  It  is,  however,  also  a  declarative 
sentence,  for  it  declares  or  states  something. 

Parts  of  Speech.    The  parts  of  speech  are 

Noun  Adjective  Adverb  Conjunction 

Pronoun  Verb  Preposition  Interjection 

The  parts  of  speech  are  defined  on  pages  12-22. 

Nouns.  Nouns  are  common  or  proper;  abstract;  collective.  One 
should  note  that  these  classes  are  not  mutually  exclusive.  That  is,  a 
common  noun  may  be  also  abstract,  as  is  the  noun  adaptability  in  the 
sentence  "  He  does  not  show  adaptability ^ 

Declension  is  the  inflection  of  a  noun  or  pronoun.  Nouns  and 
pronouns  are  declined  to  show  number  and  case. 

Number  is  a  variation  in  the  form  of  a  noun  or  pronoun  to  show 
whether  it  means  one  person  or  thing  or  more  than  one.    A  noun  or 

384 


APPENDIX  D  385 

pronoun  is  in  the  singular  number  when  it  means  one :  letter,  reply, 
box.  A  noun  or  pronoun  is  in  the  plural  number  when  it  means  more 
than  one :  letters,  replies,  boxes. 

The  plural  is  formed  from  the  singular  in  several  ways. 

1.  Most  nouns  form  their  plural  by  adding  s  to  the  singular. 

Singular     pen  chair  office 

Plural        pens  chairs  offices 

2.  Most  nouns  ending  in  s,  sh,  ch,  x,  or  z  form  their  plural  by 
adding  es  to  the  singular. 

Singular     dress  brush  church  box  chintz 

Plural         dresses        brushes        churches        boxes        chintzes 

3.  Most  nouns  ending  in  y  preceded  by  a  consonant  form  their 
plural  by  changing  y  to  i  and  adding  es. 

Singular     lady  city  body 

Plural        ladies  cities  bodies 

4.  Some  nouns  ending  inforfe  form  their  plural  by  changing  /or 
fe  to  V  and  adding  es  to  the  singular. 

Singular     knife  half  loaf 

Plural        knives  halves  loaves 

Many  nouns,  however,  simply  add  s  in  the  regular  way. 
Singular     chief  roof  fife 

Plural        chiefs  roofs  fifes 

5.  Nouns  ending   in  0   form  their  plurals  irregularly,  some  by 

adding  s,  others  by  adding  es,  and  others  by  adding  either  s  or  es, 

Filipinos  cargoes  mottoes 

pianos  manifestoes  calicos  ^r  calicoes 

6  A  few  nouns  form  the  plural  by  what  today  seem  unusual 
changes,  but  which  were  the  regular  rule  when  English  was  a  highly 
inflected  language. 

Singular     child  mouse  tooth  goose 

PLURAL        children  mice  teeth  geese 

7.   Some  nouns  have  the  same  form  for  both  the  singular  and  the 

plural. 

cannon  deer  fish  (rarely  >A..)  sheep  trout 


386  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

8.  a.  Some  nouns  are  used  in  the  plural  only. 

bellows  riches  tidings  dregs 

b.  Some  nouns  are  plural  in  form  but  singular  in  meaning, 
means  alms  news  politics 

•     9.  The  important  part  of  a  compound  word  takes   the   plural 

°*  sonj-'in-law  daughterj^-in-law 

10.  a.  Proper  nouns  are  changed  as  little  as  possible. 
Henry,  Henrys  Mary,  Maryj-  James,  James^j 

b.  To  pluralize  a  person's  name  when  used  with  a  title,  the  title  is 
usually  inflected. 

Messrs.  Smith  the  Misses  Jones 

1 1 .  Certain  foreign  nouns  retain  the  plurals  of  the  language  from 
which  they  are  derived. 

alumnus  alumni 

12.  Letters,  figures,  and  other  signs  form  their  plural  by  adding 
an  apostrophe  and  s  to  the  singular:  z,  fs-^  2,  2^s\  a,  a^s\  b,  Fs\ 
6^,  d^'s.  This  entirely  exceptional  formation  of  the  plural  must  not  be 
confused  with  the  regular  use  of  the  apostrophe  in  the  possessive  case. 

The  distinction  of  gender  (masculine,  feminine,  and  neuter)  may  be 
largely  disregarded  in  nouns. 

The  gender  of  nouns  is  important  chiefly  when  the  nouns  are  used 
as  antecedents  of  personal  pronouns.  For  example,  in  the  sentence 
"  The  stenographer  resigned  his  {her)  position  "  it  is  necessary  to 
know  the  gender  of  the  word  stenographer  in  order  to  use  the  cor- 
rect pronoun.  Usually,  however,  the  gender  is  plain.  Thus,  a  noun  de- 
noting a  male  is  in  the  masculine  gender,  —  man,  boy,  father ;  a  noun 
denoting  a  female  is  in  tho:  feminine  gender,  —  woman,  girl,  mother. 
The  case  uses  are  the  following : 
I.  Nominative: 

Subject  :  John  is  here. 

Predicate  :  It  is,  John  who  is  calling. 

Of  Address  :  John^  it  is  time  to  go. 

Of  Exclamation  :  Lucky  Johti ! 

Absolute  :  John  having  come,  we  went  into  the  house. 


APPENDIX  D  387 

2.  Accusative  (also  called  Objective) : 

Direct  Object:  I  s^.'n John. 

Secondary  Object  :  His  father  taught  John  Spanish. 
Retained  Object  :  John  has  been  taught  Spanish  by  his  father. 
Adjunct:  John  painted  the  ^\\^ds yellow. 
Subject  of  Infinitive:  I  told/<?^;^  to  go. 
Predicate  of  Infinitive:  I  told  him  to  2i^John. 
Adverbial  :  John  has  waited  weeks  for  an  answer. 
With  a  Preposition  :  I  borrowed  the  book  from  John. 

3.  Dative  {also  called  Objective): 

Indirect  Object:  I  sold  John  my  bicycle. 

4.  Genitive  (alio  called  Possessive) : 

Of  Possession  :  John''s  book  is  on  the  table. 

5.  Any  case  in  apposition: 

John,  my  chum.,  is  here. 

I  gave  John  the  book,  "  Business  English  and  Correspondence:' 

I  am  not  of  his,  John's,  opinion. 

Pronouns.    The  pronouns  are  the  following : 

1.  Personal:  I,  you,  he,  she,  it,  we,  they. 

2.  Possessive  :  mine,  thine,  his,  hers,  ours,  yours,  theirs,  whose. 

3.  Demonstrative  :  this,  that. 

4.  Interrogative  :  who,  which,  what,  etc. 

5.  Relative  :  who,  which,  what,  that,  etc. 

6.  Indefinite  :  one,  someone,  any,  anyone,  none,  each,  etc. 

7.  Reflexive  (also  called  Compound  Personal):   myself, 

yourself,  etc. 

8.  Intensive  (also   called   Compound   Personal):    myself, 

yourself,  etc. 

9.  Reciprocal  :  each  other,  one  another. 

In  pronouns  there  are  no  forms  in  the  singular  particularly  designed 
to  denote  common  gender  and  corresponding  to  they,  their,  and  them 
in  the  plural.  Some  grammarians  use  the  masculine  singular  pronoun, 
he,  his,  him,  to  perform  this  function.  According  to  this  method,  if  a 
firm  advertised  for  a  bookkeeper  irrespective  of  sex,  the  advertisement 
might  contain  the  following : 

Every  applicant  must  present  specimens  of  his  handwriUng. 


388  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

His  is  here  equivalent  to  his  or  her.    This  expression  may  be  some 
times  avoided  by  using  a  plural  form ;  as, 

Applicants  must  present  specimens  of  their  handwriting. 

A  large  number  of  pronominal  words  are  pronouns  or  pronominal 
adjectives,  according  to  their  use.  This  is  a  pronominal  adjective  in 
"John  bought  this  hat." 

The  pronominal  forms  my,  our,  your,  his,  her,  its,  their  are  appropri- 
ately considered  to  be  possessive  adjectives.  Examples  :  ^^  My  book," 
''^ your  pen,"  " //j"  number."  If  these  expressions  are  compared  with 
such  expressions  as  ''  new  book,"  "^^  good  pen,"  '^  wrong  number,"  the: 
adjectival  use  of  the  pronominal  forms  is  evident. 

Adjectives.    The  adjectives  are  the  following : 

1.  Descriptive: 

Common  :  new  book. 
Proper  :  French  book. 

2.  Limiting  {Article) : 

Definite  :  the  book. 
Indefinite  :  a  book. 


3.  Pronominal: 

Possessive  :  my  book. 
Demonstrative  :  this  book. 
Interrogative  :  which  book  (is  yours  ?). 
Indefinite  :  many  books. 
Intensive  :  this  very  book. 
Identifying  :  the  same  book. 

4.  Numeral: 

Cardinal  :  three  books. 
Ordinal:  third  hook. 

Adjectives  have  three  degrees : 

1 .  Positive  :  new  (interesting)  book. 

2.  Comparative  :  newer  (more  interesting)  book. 

3.  Superlative: 

Relative  :  newest  book  (of  the  three). 
Absolute  :  a  most  happy  (very  happy)  thought. 


APPENDIX  D  389 

Adjectives  (and  adverbs)  are  compared  in  three  ways : 

1.  Words  of  one  syllable  and  some  words  of  two  syllables  are 
compared  by  adding  er  to  the  positive  to  form  the  comparative  and 
est  to  form  the  superlative. 

Positive  Comparative  Superlative 

large  larger  largest 

poor  poorer     .  poorest 

2.  Some  words  of  two  syllables  and  all  words  of  more  than  two 
syllables  are  compared  by  using  more  or  less  for  the  comparative  and 
most  or  least  for  the  superlative. 

Positive      /  Comparative  Superlative 

beautiful  more  beautiful  most  beautiful 

wisely  less  wisely  least  wisely 

Note.    Some  words  are  compared  in  both  the  ways  given  under  i  and  2 : 
r  worthier  worthiest  foftener  oftenest 

worthy  J  more  worthy  most  worthy      often  ^  more  often    most  often 
t  less  worthy     least  worthy  [less  often      least  of  ten 

3.  Many  common  adjectives  and  adverbs  have  irregular  forms 
of  comparison. 

Positive  Comparative        Superlative 

bad  (badly,  ill)  worse  worst 

good  (well)  better  best 

Verbs,    i.  Kinds: 

a  Transitive:  A  transitive  verb  is  a  verb  which  in  the  active  voice 
.commonly  requires  a  noun,  pronoun,  or  substantive  to  complete  its  mean- 
ing  :  John  bought  a  book. 

b.  Intransitive  :  An  intransitive  verb  is  a  verb  that  does  not  require 
a  noun,  pronoun,  or  substantive  to  complete  its  meaning:  John  spoke. 
Linking:  The  book  is  Kittredge  and  Farley's  "Advanced 

English  Grammar." 
Complete  :  The  book/«//(on  the  floor). 

2.    Conjugation ; 

The  inflection  of  a  verb  is  called  conjugation.  Verbs  are  conjugated 
to  show  z^oice,  mood,  and  tense,  and  the  number  and  person  of  the 


390  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

subject.  The  conjugation  of  a  verb  is  much  more  complicated  than 
the  inflection  of  a  noun.  There  are  more  changes  in  the  root  itself, 
and  more  possible  changes  by  the  use  of  suffixes.  Furthermore,  the 
auxiliaries  {am^  shall^  will,  etc.)  make  possible  a  great  variety  of 
different  verb  phrases,  consisting  of  from  two  to  four  words  each. 

a.  Regular,  A  regular  verb  is  a  verb  that  forms  the  past  tense  by 
adding  ed,  d,  or  t  to  the  present :  present  tense,  talk ;  past  tense, 
talked. 

b.  Irregular.  An  irregular  verb  is  a  verb  that  forms  the  past  tense 
by  changing  the  vowel  of  the  present  without  adding  an  ending :  present, 
speak',    past,  spoke. 

c.  Progressive.  The  progressive  form  represents  an  action  as  contin- 
uing, or  going  on : 

John  is  writing. 
John  was  writing. 
John  will  be  writing. 

d.  Special  Interrogative,  Negative,  and  Emphatic  Forms 
WITH  THE  Auxiliary  do  : 

Do  you  speak  French  } 
I  do  not  speak  French. 
I  do  speak  French. 


3.  Person: 


4.  Number: 


First  :  I  wrote  the  letter. 
Second  :  You  wrote  a  letter. 
Third  :  John  wrote  a  letter. 
Impersonal  :  It  is  raining. 


Singular  :  I  write. 
Plural  :  We  write. 

5.  Voice: 

a.  Active  :  A  verb  is  in  the  active  voice  when  it  represents  the  sub- 
ject as  the  doer  of  an  act :  John  read  the  book. 

b.  Passive  :  A  verb  is  in  the  passive  voice  when  it  represents  the  sub- 
ject as  acted  upon  :  The  book  was  read  by  John. 

6.  Mood:  Mood  is  the  form  of  a  verb  which  represents  the  manner 
in  which  the  action  is  expressed.  There  are  three  moods :  the  indi- 
cative, the  subjunctive,  and  the  imperative. 


APPENDIX  D 


391 


Indicative  :  John  is  here. 
Imperative  :  John,  come  here. 
Subjunctive  : 

Volition  :  I  move  that  John  Smith  be  made  president  of  the  class. 

Wish  :  Fortune  favor  him ! 

Condition  Contrary  to  Fact:  If  he  were  here,  he  would  not 
agree  with  you. 

7.  Nonmodal  forms:  a.  Substantive  (A  substantive  is  an  ex- 
pression, not  a  noun  or  pronoun,  which  performs  the  functions  of  a 
noun). 

(i)  Infinitive^  An  infinitive  is  both  verb  and  noun:  To  walk  is 
pleasant. 

(2)  Gerund  :  A  gerund  is  both  verb  and  noun  :  Walking  is  a  pleasant 


b.  Adjectival: 

Participle:  A  participle  is  both  verb  and  adjective:  I  saw  John 
walking  down  the  street. 

A  participle  which  refers  grammatically  to  one  word  (a  noun  or 
pronoun,  as  a  rule)  and  logically  to  another  is  ambiguous.  In  the  sen- 
tence, "  Following  your  instructions,  the  shipment  went  forward  last 
Thursday,"  >^^^^^'^<^  does  not  really  modify  shipment,  but  we  or  some 
similar  word.  We  should  be  in  the  sentence  and  in  such  a  position 
that  the  reader  will  immediatelv  associate  the  participle  with  it.  The 
sentence  would  be  better  expressed  thus  :  "  Following  your  instructions, 
we  forwarded  the  shipment  last  Thursday." 

Similarly,  the  gerundive  forms  are  frequently  misused ;  as,  ^'  Talking 
on  the  telephone  with  Mr.  Jones,  he  said  that  you  were  in  town. 
This  is  better  expressed  in  some  way  that  will  connect  the  person 
particularly  referred  to  in  talking  at  once  with  that  word,  as  m: 
^Talking  on  the  telephone  with  Mr.  Jones,  I  learned  that  you  were 
in  town"  or  "While  talking  with  Mr.  Jones  on  the  telephone,  I 
learned  that  you  were  in  town." 

Such  ambiguous  uses  as  have  Just  been  pointed  out  are  usually 
called  dangling  participles  or  gerunds.   They  destroy  coherence. 


392 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


8.   Tense : 

Present:  I  write. 

Past:  I  wrote. 

Future  :  I  shall  write. 

Present  Perfect  :  I  have  written. 

Past  Perfect  :  I  had  written. 

Future  Perfect  :  I  shall  have  written. 

Past  Future  :  I  knew  that  he  would  write. 

Past  Future  Perfect  :  I  knew  that  he  would  have  written. 

T\\^  principal  parts  of  a  verb  are  as  follows : 

1.  The  first  person  singular  of  the  present  indicative  {see^  do). 

2.  The  past  indicative  (saw^  did). 

3.  The  past  participle  {seen,  done). 

All  the  forms  of  a  complete  verb  are  built  up  by  various  combina 
tions  of  these  principal  parts  with  auxiliary  verbs. 

PARADIGMS  OF  VERBS 
THE  VERB  BE  OK  AM 


Present  Tense 

SINGULAR 

PLURAL 

I. 

I  am. 

We  are. 

2. 

You  are. 

You  are. 

3- 

He  is. 

Past  Tense 

They  are. 

I. 

I  was. 

We  were. 

2. 

You  were. 

You  were. 

3- 

He  was. 

Future  Tense 

They  were. 

I. 

I  shall  be. 

We  shall  be. 

2. 

You  will  be. 

You  will  be. 

3- 

He  will  be. 

They  will  be. 

Present  Perfect  Tense 

I. 

I  have  been. 

We  have  been. 

2. 

You  have  been. 

You  have  been. 

3- 

He  has  been. 

They  have  been. 

APPENDIX  D  393 

Past  Perfect  Tense 

1 .  I  had  been.  We  had  been. 

2.  You  had  been.  You  had  been. 

3.  He  had  been.  They  had  been. 

Future  Perfect  Tense 

1 .  I  shall  have  been.  We  shall  have  been. 

2.  You  will  have  been.  '       You  will  have  been. 

3.  He  will  have  been.  They  will  have  been. 

Infinitives,  Present^  to  be ;  Perfect^  to  have  been. 
Participles,  Prese^it,  being ;  Past,  been ;  Perfect,  having  been. 
Gerund,  being. 

THE  VERB  SEE  (ACTIVE  VOICE) 
INDICATIVE  MOOD 

Present  Tense 

SINGULAR  PLURAL 

1.  I  see  (do  see,  am  seeing).  We  see  (do  see,  are  seeing). 

2.  You  see  (thou  seest).  You  see. 

3.  He  sees.  They  see. 

Past  Tense 

1 .  I  saw  (did  see,  was  seeing).  We  saw. 

2.  You  saw.  You  saw. 

3.  He  saw.  They  saw. 

Future  Tense 

1.  I  shall  see  (be  seeing).  We  shall  see. 

2.  You  will  see.  «  You  will  see. 

3.  He  will  see.  They  will  see. 

Present  Perfect  Tense 

1 .  I  have  seen  (been  seeing).  We  have  seen. 

2.  You  have  seen.  You  have  seen. 

TT    i_  They  have  seen. 

3.  He  has  seen.  ^'   ^ 

Past  Perfect  Tense 

1 .  I  had  seen  (been  seeing).  We  had  seen. 
^7      I,  ^  o^L                                              You  had  seen. 

2.  You  had  seen.  

TT    u  ^  ooor.  They  had  seen. 

3.  He  had  seen. 


394  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Future  Perfect  Tense 

1.  I  shall  have  seen  (been  seeing).  We  shall  have  seen. 

2.  You  will  have  seen.  You  will  have  seen. 

3.  He  will  have  seen.  They  will  have  seen. 

THE  VERB  SEE  (PASSIVE  VOICE) 
INDICATIVE  MOOD 

Present  Tense 

SINGULAR  PLURAL 

1.  I  am  seen.  We  are  seen. 

2.  You  are  seen.  You  are  seen. 

3.  He  is  seen.  They  are  seen. 

Past  Tense 

1.  I  was  seen.  We  were  seen. 

2.  You  were  seen.  You  were  seen. 

3.  He  was  seen.  They  were  seen. 

Future  Tense 

1.  I  shall  be  seen.  We  shall  be  seen. 

2.  You  will  be  seen.  You  will  be  seen. 

3.  He  \vill  be  seen.  They  will  be  seen. 

Present  Perfect  Tense 

1.  I  have  been  seen.  We  have  been  seen. 

2.  You  have  been  seen.  You  have  been  seen. 

3.  He  has  been  seen.  They  have  been  seen. 

Past  Perfect  Tense 

1 .  I  had  been  seen.  We  had  been  seen. 

2.  You  had  been  seen.  You  had  been  seen. 

3.  He  had  been  seen.  They  had  been  seen. 

Future  Perfect  Tense 

1.  I  shall  have  been  seen.  We  shall  have  been  seen. 

2.  You  will  have  been  seen.  You  will  have  been  seen. 

3.  He  will  have  been  seen.  They  will  have  been  seen. 


APPENDIX  D  395 

Adverb.  The  degree  of  adverbs  is  similar  to  that  of  adjectives: 
efficiently,  more  efficiently,  most  efficiently,  very  efficiently. 

Adverbs  used  to  introduce  questions  and  adverbs  used  to  introduce 
subordinate  clauses  are  called,  respectively,  interrogative  and  relative 
adverbs  :  He  said  :  ''  When  are  you  going  home  ?  *'  He  will  telephone 
when  he  gets  back. 

Preposition 

1.  Simple:  about,  in. 
Compound  :  inside  of,  instead  of. 

2.  A  preposition  with  a  substantive  is  called  a  prepositional  phrase : 

at  home^  at  school. 

Conjunction 

1 .  Simple  :  and,  although. 
Compound-:  in  order  that,  provided  that. 

2.  Coordinating  :  and,  but,  or. 
Subordinating  :  although,  if,  because. 

3.  Correlative  :  both  .  .  .  and,  either  ...  or. 

Common  Term.    The  term  substantive  is  applied  to  any  word  or 
expression  that  performs  the  functions  of  a  noun. 
To  act  wisely  at  all  times  is  difficult. 
John  told  me  to  go  home. 
.He  busied  himself  with  studying  the  signatures. 

Sentences 

1.  Affirmative:  I  went. 

Negative  :  I  did  not  go.  ^ 

2.  Declarative:  I  went.  Go  to  your  seat.  (This  sentence  is  also 

called  Imperative.) 
Interrogative:  May  I  go? 

3.  Exclamatory  :  What  a  wonderful  sight  it  is ! 

'    NONEXCLAMATORV:   It  is  a  wonderful  sight.    (Th|s  sentence 
would  be  exclamatory  if  it  were  expressed  with  a  high  degree  of 
emotion.) 

4.  Simple  :  John  came.  .  j  „  u„„o 
COMPOUND :  John  came,  but  his  brother  stayed  at  home. 
COMPLEX :  John  will  come  if  his  brother  will  suy  at  home. 


396  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Clauses 

1.  Declarative  :  I  work  hard  because  /  like  my  work. 
Interrogative  :  He  asked  me  if  I  liked  my  work. 
Assumptive:  If  I  am  mistaken^  I  am  ready  to  make  amends. 

2.  Principal  :  John  may  go  when  he  is  through  with  his  work. 
Subordinate  (Substantive):  I  believe  that  he  is  ready. 
Subordinate  (Adjectival):  The  boy  who  has  just  come  in 

will  give  you  the  key. 
Subordinate  (Adverbial):   When  he  had  finished  his  work, 
John  went  home. 

Relation  of  clause  to  content  : 

Essential  :  He  told  me  to  select  the  desk  which  I  preferred. 
Nonessential  :  He  assigned  me  to  a  desk,  which  I  at  once 
resolved  to  claim  for  the  remainder  of  the  term. 

Phrases 

Substantive  :  Running  your  machine  at  such  high  speed  tests 

your  nerves. 
Adjectival  :  You  are  doing  business  with  a  man  of  the  highest 

integrity. 
Adverbial:  We  shall  be  there  in  a  few  minutes. 


INDEX 


Abbreviations,  list  of,  79  ff.;  in  a  letter 
heading,  177  ff. ;  in  the  complimentary 
address,  181  ff. ;  allowable,  192 ;  of 
states,  203 

Abstract  nouns,  12 ;  as  common  nouns,  384 

Adjective  clauses,  29 

Adjectives,  defined,  16;  special  classes, 
16 ;  pronominal,  demonstrative,  and 
proper,  17;  classified,  388;  degrees 
of  comparison,  388  ff. 

Adjustments.   See  Complaints 

Adverbs,  defined,  18  ;  confused  with  adjec- 
tives, 19 ;  noun  used  as  adverb,  24 ; 
degrees  of,  and  how  used,  395 

Adverbial  clause,  29 

Advertisement,  definition  and  classification 
of,  328  ff. ;  breadth  and  language  of, 
330  ff. ;  essential  qualities,  332  ;  writ- 
ing advertisements  and  situations 
wanted,  333  ff. ;  requiring  special 
preparation,  336  ff. ;  how  studied,  338  ; 
buyer's,  340  ff . 

Ambiguity  defined,  124 

Antecedent  of  pronoun,  15 

Antonyms,  definition  and  use  of,  96  ff. 

Apostrophe,  in  forming  plurals,  32 ;  use 
of,  60 

Articles  defined,  16 

Balanced  sentences  defined,  133 

Bill,  311;  model  of,  312.   See  Collections 

Brackets,  60 

Business  English  defined,  i 

Buying   letter,   importance   and  essential 

parts    of,    230;    paragraphing,    232; 

directions    for    shipment    of    goods, 

233  ff- ;     provision    for    payment    of 

goods,  235  ff. 

Cablegram,  defined,  354  ;  rules  affecting 

356 
Capitals,  use  of,  62 
Carefulness,  value  of,  222 
Case,  possessive,  34  ;  its  uses,  386  ff. 
Catalogues,  use  of,  230  ff. 
Circular  letter,  243  ff.    See  Selling  letter 


Clauses,  defined,  29;  noun,  adjective, 
•and  adverbial,  29 ;  independent  and 
dependent,  29 ff.;  connected  and 
coordinate,  30  ;  with  shall  and  w/7/,  48  ; 
in  a  compound  sentence,  119  ;  classifi- 
cation of,  396  ;  relation  to  content,  396 

Climax,  how  produced  and  emphasis  by, 
i56ff. 

Coherence,  defined,  no;  by  arrangement, 
124;  influence  of  point  of  view  on, 
126 ;  in  a  paragraph,  149 ;  in  a  group 
of  paragraphs,  161  ff. ;  how  destroyed, 
391 

Collections,  classification  and  the  bill,  311 ; 
delinquent  debtor  and  second  notice, 
312;  third  notice,  313  ff.;  special 
notice,  or  dun,  314  ff. ;  acknowledging 
payment,  319 

Collective  noun,  13 

Colon,  57 

Comma,  54  ff. 

Common  noun,  13 

Comparison,  of  adjectives,  388  ff. ;  of 
adverbs,  395 

Complaints  and  adjustments,  cause  for, 
and  policy  concerning,  292  ff. ;  fair 
treatment  and  legal  rights,  293 ff.; 
principles  governing,  and  rules  for, 
294  ff. ;  inviting,  297  ff. ;  anticipating, 
299 ;  personal  element  in,  300  ff. ; 
illustrative  forms,  301  ff. 

Complex  sentence,  28 

Complimentary  address,  180 ff.;  arrange- 
ment of,  184  ff. 

Complimentary  close,  192  ff. 

Composition,  defined,  107;  compared 
with  grammar  and  rhetoric,  107 ff.; 
kinds  of,  108;  fundamental  qualities  of, 
108 ff.;  laws  of,  in  letter  writing,  205 

Compound  conjunctions,  21 

Compound  sentence,  28 

Compound  words,  69 

Conjugation  of  verbs,  389  ff. 

Conjunctions,  defined,  20;  coordinating, 
subordinating,  and  compound,  21  *, 
classification  of,  395 


397 


398 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


Connected     paragraphs,     definition     and 

qualities  of,  158 
Connectives,  use  of,  153 
Credits,  307  ff. 

Dash,  59 

Declarative  sentence,  26 

Declension  defined,  384 

Delinquent  debtor,  312.   See  Collections 

Demonstrative  adjective,  17 

Demonstrative  pronoun,  16 

Dependent    clause,    defined,    29 ;     with 

shall  and  will^  48 
Dictionary,  use  of,  8i  ff. 
Dislocation  in  the  sentence  defined,  126 
Dun,  314  ff.   5^<?  Collections 

Emphasis,  defined,  113;  how  obtained,  1 13  j 
in  a  sentence,  127 ff.;  in  a  paragraph, 
155  ff. ;  in  a  group  of  paragraphs,  162  ff. 

Envelope,  199  ff.;  address  on,  199  ff. 
model  forms  of  address  on,  200  ;  hints 
for  addressing,  202  ff. ;  a  form  of 
address,  213 

Euphony,  defined,  114  ;  in  sentences,  130  ; 
hindrances  to,  131 

Exclamation  point,  58 

Exclamatory  sentence,  26 

Expression,  varieties  of,  i 

Figurative  language  in  business,  10 1 
Filing  correspondence,  379  ff. 
Folding  a  letter,  direction  for,  198 
Follow-up  letter,  247  ff.   See  Selling  letter 
Form  letter,  reason  for  and  illustrations, 
272  ff. ;  adaptation  of,  274  ff. ;  caution 
in  preparation  and  use  of,  275  ff. 
Friendly   letter,    300  ff.    See    Complaints 
and  adjustments 

Gender  in  nouns,  386 
Gerund  defined,  391 

Grammar,  definition  and  use,  12 ff.;  com- 
pared with  rhetoric,  107 
Grammatical  supplement,  384  ff. 

Heading  of  a  letter,  177  ff. 
Homonyms,  definition  and  use  of,  98  ff. 

Imperative  sentence,  26 
Inclosures,  how  noted,  190 
Indentions  in  a  letter,  172 
Independent  clause,  defined,  29 
infinitive,  24  \ 


Inflection  defined,  31 
Initials  of  dictator  and  stenographer,  i9off. 
Interdepartment   letter.     See  Miscellane- 
ous letters 
Interjection  defined,  22 
Interrogation  point,  58 
Interrogative  pronoun,  16 
Interrogative  sentence,  26 
Intransitive  verb,  389 
Invoice,  311.  See  Collections 
Italics,  63 

Language,  of  sport,  i ;  of  the  stock  mar- 
ket, 2  ;  of  poetry,  2  ;  basic  principles 
of,  7  ff. 

Letter,  conventional  forms  of,  169  ;  paper 
for,  169 ff.;  parts  of,  i7off. ;  form  of, 
171;  margins  in,  172,  189 ff.;  inden- 
tions for,  1 72  ;  spacing  in,  1 73  ;  punc- 
tuation of,  173;  heading  of,  177  ff.; 
complimentary  address,  180 ff.;  salu- 
tation, 186  ff. ;  body  of,  189  ff. ;  second 
sheets,  190  ff.;  complimentary  close, 
192  ff. ;  signature,  195  ff. ;  folding,  198 ; 
purpose  of  a  business,  204 ;  laws  of 
composition  in,  205  ;  a  method  of  crit- 
icizing, 206;  of  application,  211  ff.; 
buying,  230 ff.;  selling,  241  ff.;  form, 
272  ff. ;  of  introduction  and  recommen- 
dation, 278 ff.;  complaint  and  adjust- 
ment,  292  ff.;    miscellaneous,    321  ff. 

Letter  of  application,  requirements,  211  ff.; 
grammar  and  rules  of  composition  in, 
213 ff.;  in  answer  to  advertisement, 
214  ff.;  care  in  preparation  of,  222  ff. 

Letter  of  inquiry,  reply  to,  254  ff.  See 
Selling  letter 

Letter  of  introduction,  defined  and  classi- 
fied, 278  ff. ;  general,  279  ;  special,  281 

Letter  of  recommendation,  278 ff.;  classi- 
fication and  essentials  of,  284 ff.;  a 
personal  matter,  286 

Letterheads,  models  of,  1 79 

Loose  sentence  defined,  133 

Margins  in  a  letter,  172,  189  ff. 

Military  letters.   See  Miscellaneous  letters 

Miscellaneous  letters,  321  ff. ;  letter  ratify- 
ing a  telephone  conversation,  321; 
accompanying  a  report,  323 ;  house 
or  interdepartment  letter,  323  ff. ;  mili- 
tary letters,  326  ff. 

Mood  defined,  390  ff. 


INDEX 


399 


Nominative  case,  uses  of,  386 

Nouns,  defined,  12  ;  classified,  12  ff. ;  com- 
mon, proper,  and  abstract,  12  ;  collec- 
tive and  verbal,  13  ;  declension,  384  ; 
formation  of  plurals,  385  ff. ;  gender, 

386  ;  case  uses,  386  ff. 

Objective  case,  uses  of,  387 

Oral  English,  its  value,  5 

Order,  acknowledging   receipt  of,  264  ff. 

Outline,  definition  and  use,  140  ff. 

Paradigms  of  verbs,  392  ff. 

Paragraph,  defined,  143  ;  length  of,  144 ff.; 
unity  in,  148;  topic  sentence  in,  148; 
coherence  in,  149 ff.;  use  of  connec- 
tives in,  153;  emphasisyin,  155  ;  quali- 
ties of  connected,  158 

Parentheses,  59 

Parenthetical  expressions,  122 

Participle,  defined,  24  ;  ambiguous  use  of, 
391 ;  dangling,  391 

Parts  of  a  letter,  170  ff. 

Parts  of  speech,  12 ff.;  flexibility  of,  24, 
384  ff.     See    Nouns,    Pronouns,    etc. 

Payment,  provision  for,  236 

Period,  53  ^ 

Periodic  sentences  defined,  133 

Phrases,  defined  and  classified,  30  ;  choice 
of,  104  ff.;  classified,  396 

Position,  emphasis  by,  156 

Possessive  case,  how  used,  34 

Postal  information,  373  ff. 

Predicate,  defined,  25  ;  modifiers,  25 

Prepositions,  defined,  19  ;  classification  of, 
395  ;  prepositional  phrase,  395 

Principal  parts  of  verbs,  392 

Pronominal  adjective,  17 

Pronouns,  defined,  15 ;  antecedent  of, 
1 5 ;  classification  and  forms,  1 5 ; 
relative,  15  ;  demonstrative,  16  ;  inter- 
rogative, 16;  classification  and  gender, 

387  ff. 
Proofreading,  376  ff. 
Proper  adjective,  1 7 
Proper  noun,  12 
Proposition,  emphasis  by,  155 
Punctuation,  value  of  and  rules  for,  52  ff. ; 

in    a    letter,    173;   close   and   open, 
173 

Quotation  marks,  59 
Relative  pronoun,  15 


Repetition  in  a  sentence,  128 

Reports,  subject  matter,  343 ff.;  prepara- 

tion,  344  ff. ;  models,  345  ff. 
Reviews  and  tests,  359  ff. 
Rhetoric,  compared  with  grammar,  107 ; 

a  practical  study,  108  ;  application  of, 

117  ff. 

Salesmanship,  personal,  269.  See  Selhng 
letter 

Salutation,  186  ff. 

Selling  letter,  importance  and  object, 
24 1  ff . ;  characteristics  and  classifica- 
tion, 242  ;  circular  letter  and  directions 
for  writing,  243  ff. ;  the  personal  ele- 
ment, 245  ff. ;  miscellaneous  uses, 
246  ff. ;  follow-up  letter,  247  ff. ;  replies 
to  letters  of  inquiry,  254  ff. ;  replies  to 
general  inquiries,  255  ff.;  form  letter, 
261  ff. ;  acknowledging  receipt  of  an 
order,  264  ff. ;  personal  salesmanship, 
269 

Semicolon,  56 

Sentence,  defined,  25  ;  elements  of,  25 ; 
classification  and  use,  26 ;  structure 
(simple,  compound,  and  complex), 
28;  run-on,  118;  unity  in,  118;  main 
idea  in,  119;  influence  of  point  of 
view,  ii9ff. ;  coherence  in,  124; 
ambiguity  in,  124  ;  dislocation  in,  126  , 
emphasis  in,  127  ff.;  euphony  in, 
131  ff.;  hindrances  to  euphony  in, 
131 ;  periodic,  loose,  and  balanced, 
133;  variety  in  use  of,  133;  use  and 
value  of  different  kinds  of,  135 ; 
classified,  395 

Shall  and  will^  47  ff. 

Shipment,  directions  for,  235 

Should  and  would,  49 

Signature,  in  a  letter,  195  ff. ;  models  of 
legibility,  197 

Simple  sentence,  28 

"  Situations      wanted "      advertisements, 

333  ff. 

Slang,  9 

Spacing  in  a  letter,  173 

Spelling,  65  ff . ;  rules  for,  70  ff. 

Stamp,  on  envelope,  place  of,  200 ; 
inclosed  in  a  letter,  202 

Subject,  defined,  25  ;  simple,  and  modi- 
fiers, 25 

Subordinating  conjunction,  21 

Subscriptions,  how  written,  238 

Substantive,  the  term,  how  applied,  395 


400 


BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


Summary,  definition,  purpose,  and 
examples  of,  350  ff.;  method  of 
preparation,  351 

Syllabication,  66  ff. 

Synonyms,  definition  and  use  of,  Zy 

Telegrams,     definition    and     kinds     of, 

354  ff. ;    classified,    356 
Tense,  392 

Topic  sentence,  148 ;  unity  and,  159  ff. 
Transitive  verb,  389 

Unity,  defined,  109;  in  the  sentence,  118; 
affected  by  point  of  view,  1 1 9  ff . ; 
in  a  paragraph,  148;  and  topic  sen- 
tences, i59ff. 


Variety  in  use  of  sentence,  133 

Verb,  defined,  18 ;  kinds  of  verbs,  389  ;  con- 
jugation of,  389  ff. ;  voice,  390  ;  mood, 
390  ff. ;  tense,  392  ;  principal  parts, 
392  ;  paradigms  of,  392  ff. 

Verb  phrase,  18 

Verbal  noun,  13 

Vocabulary,  how  enlarged,  81  ff. 

Voice,  390 

Words,  as  different  parts  of  speech,  22  ff. ; 

compound,  69  ;  study  of,  88  ff. ;  verbs, 

102  ff. 
Written  English,  importance  of,  6 


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